


Overboard (Swapfell!SansxReader)

by MorseCode312



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphys is an even bigger jerk, Based on the modern version of Overboard, F/M, Lots of things implemented here, Overboard, Reader has Twins, Sans is a jerkwad, Swapfell, i made my own Swapfell headcanons to better fit the story, its better than it sounds trust me, mentions of abuse but it doesn’t go that deep, not exactly canon in a lot of places
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-05-31 03:06:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19417204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorseCode312/pseuds/MorseCode312
Summary: ((Monsters have been surfaced for a year now, and the government has finally allowed them to begin integrating slowly but surely into human society))Sans, Queen Toriel’s advisor/personal guard hasn’t been getting much sleep. He falls off Toriel’s boat in the middle of the night and wakes up in a human hospital with no recollection of who he is.You know who he is of course- he yelled at you the night before and embarrassed you for something that wasn’t even your fault. With some encouragement, you take Sans into your home and convince him that he is your husband, and the father to your young children.How long will it take him to figure out otherwise?(Completed July 9th, 2019)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Panic Room](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16200662) by [coco_finny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coco_finny/pseuds/coco_finny). 
  * Inspired by [Dirty Laundry](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18528973) by [popatochisp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/popatochisp/pseuds/popatochisp). 



> So here’s the thing: 
> 
> I’ve pretty much already written the full story. It’s 10 long chapters, and I’m too eager to post it instead of waiting to finish Double Trouble Determination (which isn’t near to being finished). 
> 
> So I’m gonna post this (hopefully weekly) and get it out of the way so I can focus back on DTD. 
> 
> See? Everyone’s happy! 
> 
> Also, please check out the fics that helped inspire me. Without Cocofinny, popatochisp, and [Skesgo](https://skesgo.tumblr.com/), I would’ve never gotten into Swapfell, and I wouldn’t have been so enthused about Swapfell Sans. So thank you to them (even though I doubt they’ll ever read this lol??) 
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy this just as much as I did!
> 
> (Completed July 9th, 2019)

It was currently 10 PM, and you were hanging up your apron for the night. Usually you were stuck cleaning for another hour or so, so this was a nice change of pace. Your manager called you in earlier than usual since several huge reservations had been made for tonight and he wanted to have as many people on hand as possible. Fortunately, one of the bigger parties cancelled, and with the surplus of staff, the restaurant was clean and locked up earlier than usual. Which was fine by you, seeing as you had another job lined up for the night.

You fished a wad of bills from the pocket of your notebook, proceeding to lean against the counter as you counted your tips for the night. As you shuffled through the bills, you felt a hand rest on your shoulder. You instinctively shrugged it off, turning to face the owner. You only relaxed a bit when you saw it was only your coworker. People around here had a bad habit of putting their hands on each other, and you didn’t appreciate being touched so openly. You tried to refrain from snapping at people though, so normally you settled for roughly pulling yourself out of reach and narrowing your eyes with the nastiest glare you could muster. Most of the time, that was enough to make them back off.

Tonight, however, you were tired, and your coworker didn’t mean any harm. You settled for stepping out of her reach as she joined you at the counter.

“It’s crazy we got to close up so early, huh?” Chelsea grinned at you. She still had her apron on, despite the restaurant being closed. Granted, she did untie it, so it dangled from a thin strap around her neck. She ran her fingers through her curly ponytail with a sigh, thumbing through her tips as she stood with you.

“Yeah. It’s nice though.” You mumbled, concentration broken as you start over in counting the loose bills in your hand.

“Hey girls!” you sighed as you were interrupted once again. Greg approached the two of you, prompting you to look up at him. He grinned, rubbing his calloused hands together. “I’m sure you two are glad that we get to leave early tonight, but I gotta give you two a bit of heads up. It’s going to be a late night for all of us tomorrow. We’re catering for the big event tomorrow!”

The other girl perked at the announcement. “You mean that big party tomorrow to welcome the monsters?”

“The very one. Apparently, the Queen herself chose us out of the lineup, so our reputation precedes us.” He said proudly.

You fought the urge to scoff. It wasn’t as big of a feat as he was making it out to be. The town you worked in was pretty small, and it was closer to the coast where the monsters would dock. It was no surprise to you that the monsters would pick one of the few restaurants that served decent food to cater their feast.

Greg continued, “I just wanna make sure you’re all ready for the long haul. We’ve got a lot of work to do to prepare for tomorrow night, and we need as many hands as we can put together. Can I count on you two being here bright and early tomorrow?”

Chelsea’s affirmation was much more enthusiastic than yours, but Greg was pleased nonetheless. He clapped a hearty hand on both of your backs with a noise of approval, leaving you gritting your teeth and shoving your tips into your pocket.

You’ll count it later.

“Night!” Chelsea waved at you as she ducked into her car. You waved back, climbing into your car as well. You took a moment to sit back, closing your eyes and tilting your head back against the worn leather headrest. You breathed in the faint touches of oil and gasoline, letting yourself relax for a moment. Finally, you straightened, inserting your key into the ignition. It took a few tries for the engine to roar to life, the sound echoing loudly across the empty parking lot. You let the engine warm up a second or two before you pulled out of the lot.

You gave yourself an hour to get things together before your next job. Fortunately, besides the 20 minute drive to the next town, that only left you with having to pick up your kids from Nana’s.

You smiled softly as you thought of them; Isabel and Wyatt. Despite their being twins, they often showed themselves to be the exact opposites of each other. Isabel was outgoing and talkative, while Wyatt kept to himself. But despite that, they preferred to always be together, sharing that special connection that only twins seem to have.

The drive to Nana’s was relatively short, and soon you were pulling into the driveway. Two little silhouettes pressed themselves against the window. One of them waved at you excitedly as you stepped out of the car. You grinned and waved back. Nana pulled the door open for you before you were halfway up the walkway.

“How was work?” She asked sweetly.

“Decent.” You said simply, brushing past her and into the living space.

Nana’s house was always clean and smelled of lilac. It was your home away from home, and you were glad Isabel and Wyatt had such a nice place to spend time in.

“Mom!” Isabel threw her arms around your waist. You hugged her to you for a moment before she pulled herself away to go grab her things. Wyatt waved at you in greeting before following her. You frowned a little at that. Normally he was right there with his sister, hugging you tightly.

Nana seated herself in the loveseat, motioning for you to sit with her. You accepted her invitation gladly, sinking into the soft cushions with a groan. She chuckled softly as you relished in the feeling.

“You’re stocking tonight, right?” She asked as she pats your knee. You nod quietly, eyes closed as you enjoyed the couch’s embrace.

Nana owned a small shop in the neighborhood, and had allowed you to work part-time there for a few years now. It wasn’t very big, but it was pretty popular among the locals, which was good. It meant you always had work to do.

The twins returned before Nana could say more. You peeled yourself away from the couch as they headed for the door. You moved to follow them out to the car when Nana hooked her fingers gently in the crook of your elbow. You looked down at her. Her easy smile had faded into a frown of concern.

“I think Wyatt is having trouble at school again.” She said softly. “He’s been really quiet lately. More than usual, I mean.”

“Did the teachers say anything?”

“They haven’t noticed anything new,” she informs you. You sigh softly, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of your face.

You nodded solemnly. “I’ll talk to him.”

She nodded as well, pulling you into a hug once she’s on her feet. She was a little shorter than you, so you had to lean over a bit to return her embrace. You inhaled her sweet flowery perfume, the familiar smell relaxing you. She pulled away a little, looking you over. Her small eyes reflected her love for you as she smiled.

“Please take care of yourself.” She patted your cheek. “I know it’s been rough for all three of you.”

You don’t answer. Instead you pull away, trying not to get caught up in her sentiment. You give her a quiet ‘thank you’ before following your kids out the door.

Isabel told you everything about her day, right on down to what she ate for lunch. You acknowledged her the best you could, but you had to admit you were distracted. You kept glancing in the rearview mirror, watching Wyatt stare down at his book bag. His expression was tired, but otherwise unreadable. It worried you a little.

Isabel had paused in her storytelling, giving you an opportunity to speak up.

“How was your day, Wyatt?”

His eyes lifted to meet yours in the mirror, and he forced a smile. “It was fine.”

“Anything interesting happen today?”

He shook his head, eyes falling back down to the floor. Isabel glanced between you and him, interrupting the silence that was starting to develop.

You let her talk.

When you pulled up into your driveway, the dingy little house looked almost menacing. The headlights from your car reflected against dirty windows and stained panels. You and the twins trampled thick weeds and kicked up dry dirt as you walked up to the front door. The porch groaned beneath your feet, complaining at the weight the three of you put onto it. You braced your shoulder against the thick wooden door, unlocking the handle and almost throwing your whole body against it. It popped from the too-small door frame and you pushed the door open. Wyatt and Isabel wordlessly stepped inside, making a beeline for their rooms down the hall. You struggled with the door for a moment, trying to fit the door back into place and cursing to yourself when it refused. Eventually, it slid back into place. You didn’t bother to lock it.

The twin’s door was closed when you walked past, and the light on the other side was out. Seemed like the twins were going to bed now. You stood in front of the door, hesitating. Should you let them be?

They weren’t babies anymore, you reasoned. Granted, 11 years old didn’t qualify as “adult” either, but you didn’t want to force your kids to come to you. You learned firsthand how it felt to be parented like that, and you refuse to subject your children to that sort of environment.

You retreated from the door, heading further down the hall to your own room. The light flickered on, and you began to change out of your work uniform. You pulled on some soft sweats and a t-shirt. Nana didn’t care what you wore when you did her late night stocking.

When you left, the front door shut tightly behind you, and you made sure that it was locked before you climbed into your car. The engine roared to life, and you pulled out of the driveway.

When you looked back at the house, the light in the twin’s room was on again.

It was way too quiet when you unlocked the back door to the shop. The deafening silence that pounded at your eardrums was only ceased by the quiet scrape of your shoes against the wooded floor.

Fortunately, Nana had an old radio that sat at the counter. You turned the knob on the device, and after a short burst of static, soft jazz began to lift the silence. It wasn’t your first choice of music, but it’d be better than the silence.

And Nana didn’t like when folks changed her station.

You set to work. Small carts loaded with canned goods and miscellaneous items were pulled from the back, parked in the middle of each aisle. You took a moment to assess the shelves. Some parts were barren, whereas some were almost fully stocked. You took note of this as you pulled the first case of grocery from the cart and sliced it open.

From there, it was all too easy to fall into rhythm. 

*

This was _dreadful_. Absolutely awful. How could _anyone_ think this décor would fit such a momentous occasion? It was downright shameful.

Sans scoffed to himself as he eyed the rented ballroom with disgusted scrutiny. It was big, sure, but that must have been the only good thing about it.

The colors of the drapes clashed horribly with the tablecloth. The floors were streaked instead of polished. There were _party streamers for star’s sake!_ The room was decorated like a child’s birthday party, the exact opposite of the elegant affair he had been hoping for.

“Don’t get too worked up about it.” Another monster grumbled as she shuffled past him. The yellow lizard monster also looked around with distaste, but she wasn’t nearly as bothered as Sans. “We’re just here to check the security, remember?”

“Of course I remember!” Sans snapped at her. His eye sockets narrowed at her before looking back at the god-awful display. “I’m just appalled. _Look at this_ -.”

Alphys rolled her eyes. Her brows creased with frustration when Sans pointedly ignored her, continuing to gripe at the human’s half-hearted attempt to welcome them. She didn’t say anything else, however. He was the Queen’s right hand, an entire level above her status as Captain of the Royal Guard. As much as she hated it – hated him; she had to stay on Toriel’s good side if she ever hoped to replace him.

Even if that meant tolerating his incessant complaining in the meantime.

The Queen would arrive shortly, an hour or so before the other guests were to arrive. Her and Sans were sent ahead to scout the building, to figure out the most effective places to plant the rest of the Royal Guard.

After a few more minutes of verbally picking apart the human’s choices of decoration, Sans was satisfied enough to accomplish the task at hand. Not that it was very difficult. He was a cunning strategist, one of the many reasons Toriel had insisted he assist her in planning the monster’s integration into society. In no time at all, the task was completed.

“I’ll go get the guards then.” Alphys said curtly, heading for the exit. The sooner and the farther away she could get from Sans, the better. The skeleton made no move to stop her, already distracted.

Several of the catering staff had emerged from the kitchen area. They started to line the tables with covered dishes and trays. Curious, he strolled over to one and lifted the cover up just enough to peek at the food.

A nice warmth radiated from under the lid, and he was pleased to see that although the décor could use some _(a lot)_ of work, the food actually looked appealing. He reached under the lid to take a sample, scarfing down a few morsels.

He almost choked when someone collided into him from the side. Startled, he dropped the lid on top of the tray with a sharp clatter, swallowing roughly and clearing his throat. Sans turned to confront the offending human, growling softly in frustration as she struggled to look up at him.

*

You were carrying too many plates. It was foolish of you to think that you'd be able to carry such a daunting amount of chinaware, but you weren't left with many choices. The Queen herself would be here any minute, and the main buffet wasn't nearly done. The kitchen managed to get some simple appetizers out, with a couple bins of tossed salad to accompany it. And, to make matters worse, most of the crew scheduled to work today had called off last minute. Greg was currently having a fit in one of the back rooms, but you couldn't let yourself be bothered with that. Carrying a few more sets of plates couldn't hurt as long as you were careful, right? 

But you weren’t careful enough. 

You made a noise of protest when you bumped into some resistance on your way to set the plates. Whoever you had collided with had done the same, and you heard the sharp clatter of one of the tray lids. You steadied the china in your arms before craning your neck to look over the stacks of plates in your arms. 

A skeleton monster glowered at you. His velvet eye lights narrowed at your stare. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean-" 

"Of course you didn't." He interrupted, his scowl deepening. "Don’t you have any manners at all? Do you think just because I am a monster that you can just ram yourself into me without care?" 

"No! I mean, I was just-"

"Getting in my way? Clearly." he glared. You bite your tongue to keep from cursing at him for interrupting you a second time. "I will let you off with _one_ warning, human. _Don't let it happen again_."

Your eyes widened a bit at the threat as he turned to storm out of the room. The heels of his boots thudded heavily against the floor. He spared you one last nasty glare before he threw the door shut behind him.

_Was that really necessary?_

You huffed at him, carrying the plates down to the last table and setting them down carefully. You looked at the door he forcefully shut behind him, your blood starting to boil. 

_The nerve of that guy!_

Not only did he interrupt you _twice,_ he had the nerve to threaten you over bumping into him. Did he really think you did it on purpose? Did he not see the plates in your arms? 

The party hadn't even started yet and you were already developing a headache. You hoped the rest of the night wouldn't escalate further. 

You start to head back to the kitchen before noticing one of the tray covers is out of place. Conveniently, it's right around the area where the rude monster was standing. Curious, you lift it off the plate. 

_He ate several of the appetizers!!_

You barely manage to stifle the indignant squawk that erupted in the back of your throat, swiftly covering the tray again harder than you intended. The force shook the table a bit, but you ignored it. You snatch the tray from the table, stomping back into the kitchen with it. Your coworkers look at you oddly as you almost throw the plate onto the counter. You make a beeline for the freezer, letting the door close itself behind you. You cross your arms, your hot breath coming out in thick white puffs as you try to reel in your anger. 

In less than a minute, you were insulted, berated, and threatened by a monster that was embarrassed about being caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. It would've been amusing had it happened to anyone else. But no, it happened to you, and you wouldn't be laughing at this any time soon. 

Your coworkers come and go, giving you a wide berth as they grab what they need and hurry off. It takes several long minutes of standing in the freezer for the anger to subside. Finally, you force a heavy sigh, willing the rest of your frustrations out with it. You had a job to do, and you weren't going to let that prick prevent you from doing it.

You resolve to avoid the skeleton at all costs tonight. 

Chelsea is buzzing with excitement. Her eagerness is so potent it nearly vibrates the air around her. And she's chatty; she oohs and ahhs at the monsters in their elegant dress, nudging your side every time she sees something that catches her interest. 

Which at this point, seems to be everything. 

You take another side step out of her reach, but she's so enveloped by her excitement that all it does is draw her closer to you. You're ready to snap at her at this point, the polite grin on your face faltering with every nudge of her elbow. Tonight is not the night for something like this. It's only the two of you manning the buffet table though, so you're the only one she can project her fervor onto. 

"Look at the Queen!!" She grins, gesturing over to her with a nod. You reluctantly follow her gaze. 

The Queen was separated from the crowd, looking a little bored as she stood to the side. Her yellowed eyes scanned the crowds, and her frown further developed into a scowl. You couldn't blame her. This supposed party was pronounced dead before it had the chance to live. Whoever threw this thing together had poor planning skills. Even you had to admit the decorations were done in poor taste. And if it weren't for a robot monster stepping up to take over the music, you would've been driven insane by the repetitive loop of classical music that had been played over the loud speakers. 

Not that this tune was any better, but at least the pitches and tones varied. 

Chelsea moved to nudge you again and you stepped away from her, pretending to adjust one of the plates farther down the buffet line. At least the food was good. Monsters and humans alike tore into the food laid out before them. It seemed like it was the only decent part of the whole affair. 

Greg emerged from the back, approaching the two of you. "Hey, just checking in on you. How's it coming along?" 

"It's alright." You answer.

"Yeah! The monsters really seem to enjoy the food!" Chelsea added. 

"Of course they do." He says proudly. "I was also wondering, do either of you want to walk around with some samples-?" 

You jump at the opportunity, throwing your hand up in the air as you step towards Greg before he can even finish his offer. He acknowledges your eagerness and lets you take a small plate of samples. You take it gratefully, heading out onto the floor. You start to weave through the crowd, listening to small bits and pieces of conversation as you pass. 

You're grateful for the small break away from Chelsea. The young girl meant well, you’re sure, but tonight had already soured for you. Fortunately, though, you hadn’t seen the skeleton prick from earlier.

You pass by some of the guards lined up against the back wall. None of them so much as glance your way, so you take a moment to look them over curiously. 

There's a tall lizard-like monster leaned against the wall. She's tense though, flexing her grip on the huge ax she's got in her claws. You fight the urge to stare at it- _how'd that get past security?_

You’re certainly not going to confront her about it, especially not with the scars she’s sporting over her eye. This monster has definitely seen some things, and you’d rather not get mixed up with her. 

You circle around a few times, but no one really seems to be interested in the samples. You’ve offered several times, but you were either ignored or dismissed. Still, you had to admit it was nice to walk around and stretch your legs a bit. And hey, even if you ended up back at the buffet table with Chelsea, at least you had some time to chill. You don’t feel as tense anymore. 

A couple more circles and you decide that there’s no point anymore and turn to start heading back towards the kitchen. 

Unfortunately you bump right into the prick from earlier. 

He’s just as stunned as you are at first, but then he realizes that the wine glasses in his hands have spilt. The red liquid seeps into his purple gloves and have already started to stain his otherwise immaculate jacket. Some of it pools on the floor underneath him as well. 

You cringe. You’re gonna have to mop that up quickly. You mutter a quick apology, snatching a few napkins from your apron to try to help soak the fluid from his coat before it can set. 

He growls at you, dodging your advances. You’re sure if he wasn’t carrying those glasses he would’ve slapped your hand away. “Don’t touch me!” He hissed. “You’ve done enough damage!”

Everyone’s looking at you as he stomps away. You ignore them, placing a few napkins on the spill. You hope it’s enough to deter anyone from walking over as you hurry to go grab a mop. 

*

Sans is furiously scrubbing his jacket clean. His gloves are soaking under the running faucet. He mutters to himself, seething as he realizes that it’s going to take a lot more than warm water to clean his clothes. 

The bathroom door squeaks open and Sans looks up and makes eye contact with a human male. The human quickly looks away from the angry-looking monster, ducking into one of the stalls. Sans huffs again, turning his attention back to the stain he’s still scrubbing at in vain.

There’s no use. He’s better off disposing of it. He wouldn’t be able to properly get the stain out before it set. At least the wine didn’t soak through to his shirt. He promptly tosses the sullied jacket and gloves into the wastebasket, adjusting his outfit in the mirror. It wasn’t as proper as his full attire, but it would do for now. 

He glared at his reflection. That girl was testing him. She had to be. Who would be foolish enough to run into someone like him? Twice?? That waitress had to have some sort of death wish, bumping into him a second time. And this time it cost him both his dignity _and_ his clothing.

You needed to be made an example. If he didn’t move to set you in your place, the other humans might see that as an invitation to overstep their boundaries as well. It was hard enough getting approval to even set foot here, and Sans wasn’t about to let the humans get away with making a fool out of him and his people.

Chara’s chastisement plays in his mind; they’re always going on about forgiveness and kindness. But at the same time, his own pride refuses to simply let you off with another warning. One warning was enough mercy in his eyes. 

His eye lights grew darker as he left the restroom. He scanned the crowd, looking for her. Sure enough, she was right where he had left her. Instead of the platter in her hands, she held a wooden mop, swiping at the floor in brisk circles.

The crowd parted as he made his way through, his footsteps hard against the floor. She looked up at him as he came closer. Her eyebrows raised and she put a hand out to motion for him to stop. He ignored that, talking over her as she opened her mouth. 

“Was once not enough for you?” He demanded. “You had to go and made a fool out of me in front of everyone? I have news for you human. I-“

Sans wasn’t sure what all happened in that moment. One second he was merely a few feet away from the offending human girl, and the next second he was staring up at the ceiling. 

*

The crowd gasped along with you as the skeleton man slipped on the floor. His head smacked against the hard surface with a sickening crack. He laid there, sockets blown wide and empty as he struggled to register what exactly had happened. 

Everyone was deathly silent as you tossed away the mop and knelt down to check on him. 

“Sir? Sir! Are you okay?!” Your hands hovered above him, unsure of how to help. He was still conscious, you think. Did skeletons breathe? You weren’t supposed to move him, were you?

His blank-socket stare was starting to make you uncomfortable.

It took him some time to respond. His eye lights slowly returned and floated over to your face. They constricted suddenly and he smacked your hands away from him. He scrambled out of your reach, trying to find purchase on the smooth floor so he could climb up to his feet. You had flinched away as well, getting up on your feet and rubbing the sting from your hands. Bare bone against flesh was not a nice feeling. 

“How dare you?” He towered above you suddenly, almost knocking you backwards again. “Is this one of your pathetic human jokes?! Making me look bad in front of everyone like this?”

”I didn’t-“

”I have had it with your ignorant clumsiness, human.” He barked. “You are absolutely pathetic.”

He continued to loudly berate you in front of everyone, his skull scrunched up with his fury. 

You couldn’t hear what he was saying though. . His words blurred together in a long breath of anger and it was suffocating. Your face and neck warmed up significantly as you felt everyone’s eyes on you Over that you could’ve sworn you heard persistent whispers and murmurs that peppered through the crowd. Your heart began to race in your chest and you felt dizzy. 

_Everyone’s staring at you._

_He’s still yelling at you._

_Why isn’t anyone stopping him...?_

You open your mouth to speak, to apologize, to say _something-_

Abrokensob rattles your chest instead and all the sounds cease. 

Even the skeleton has paused in his anger-fueled lecture. 

Chelsea is at your side then, pulling you insistently towards the kitchen. You can’t stop shaking. Tears are flowing down your cheeks and you can’t stop them. When the kitchen doors swing shut behind you, you collapse, curling in on yourself as you struggle to regain your composure.

*

Sans is frozen in place as the waitress is dragged off. The room is uncomfortably silent. He clears his throat, glancing around the room. His eyes meet the Queen’s from across the room.

She looks...

Amused? 

That doesn’t seem right. But he feels the weight of everyone’s stare. The other humans are watching him with careful expressions. The other monsters are uneasy. He clears his throat and briskly walks out of the room.

Sans paced the deck, his eyelights focused on the horizon before him. The boat rocked roughly. The waves that skirted around the vessel became agitated the further out from the docks they went.

It was very late now. The Queen and her adopted child have long since retired to their cabin. She refused the human’s accommodations, insisting that she and the young ambassador would be safer on the boat.

Which was ridiculous to Sans, as he could properly protect the both of them in any environment. Still, he wouldn’t question it. It just saved him the trouble of having to deal with more humans.

He absently rubbed the back of his skull. It throbbed slightly from the fall he took earlier, but was the human equivalent to a bruise. It would heal on its own.

The heaviness in his bones was another thing.

He briefly left his post to lean heavily against the railing of the deck, steadying himself as another wave rocked the boat. He had checked the boat several times now, and since the boat was far from shore, he highly doubted there were any threats this time of night.

He let himself yawn, exhaustion settling upon him. There had been many weeks of sleepless nights building up to this first impression. And with Sans being so close to the Queen, he had to be up at the frontlines at all times.

But now, it was starting to take its toll on him. The adrenaline spike from earlier didn’t help either. He swayed slightly, grumbling to himself as he irritably swiped the back of his hand across his sockets.

He was tired, and his magical reserves were getting low now.

Should he rest?

Toriel expected him to be guarding her door all night, but at this point he was deteriorating fast. If he didn't rest soon, he was sure to collapse. He could already hear his brother's voice, nagging for him to stop pushing himself so much. 

Sans relented, straightening. He had to rest, even if it was only for an hour or so. He wasn't nearly as effective like this. Before he would retire, however, it wouldn't hurt to give the vessel one last patrol...


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like the tags declare, Alphys is an even bigger jerk than Sans.

Alphys trudged down the long hospital hallway. The smell of death and sickness was almost overpowering, the scent of sterilizers could only cover so much. 

But it was a stench she was more than used to. In fact, the smell made her think of the old days, back when humans were vile creatures to be slaughtered and their Soul brought to the Queen. Whatever happened to the vessel afterwards didn’t concern anyone else...

She shook herself out of the daydream with a heavy chuckle. Who was she kidding? Humans were still vile creatures. The only thing keeping her people from starting another war with the humans was the tiny child the Queen became fond of. It didn’t matter that everything they stood for totally opposed the mentality that they had held dear for years. Toriel saw them as a child in need of protection, and if adhering to these foolish principles got them out of that mountain, who was Alphys to complain? 

The nurse she had been following was shaking. Every couple of steps she eyed Alphys choice weapon with uneasiness. That made the lizard’s chest puff a bit with pride. 

At least the humans still had the right sense to fear them. 

“H-he’s in here.” The nurse said meekly, gesturing to the door. Alphys brushes past her wordlessly, turning the tiny knob with her massive claw and pushing the door open. 

Sans was laid back in the small hospital bed. If Alphys didn’t know any better, she would have thought he was already dead. But alas, her Soul could sense the faint buzz of his magic.

Though he wasn’t quite yet dust, it seemed he was about to be. One false move and he’d be a goner for sure. 

None of them were quite sure what had happened. Toriel woke this morning without her guard at the door. Alphys received a curt order to find the skeleton by all means necessary. Fortunately for her, she needn’t go too far. 

She stood over the still monster, her mouth twisting as she eyed him. 

Alphys hated Sans. Not quite as much as she despised humans, but it was pretty darn close. 

They were friends once- back when Sans was just a young nobody trying to make a life for him and his baby bones brother. He was insistent that she train him, so he could learn from the best.

Little did she know that he would someday surpass her. 

She clenched her fist a bit. If she’d known this was where it’d end up for her- having to answer to this bonehead while the Queen gushed over how powerful and talented he was; she would’ve abandoned both of the brothers. 

The nurse stood on the other side of the room, silently watching as Alphy’s expressions changed with her thoughts. When she spoke up, her voice was smoother now that she had some distance between the two of them. 

“He was awake when we found him. The doctor sedated him to get him to rest.” She said, gesturing to the chart hanging at the foot of his bed. “He claimed he had no memory of who he was.”

That got Alphys attention. Sans didn’t even know who he was?

“It might be best to bring him home soon as possible. His injuries weren’t too significant, a-and being around familiar faces should help with the amnesia.”

Alphys bit back a laugh. Was it really going to be this easy? 

“He’s not going to make it.” She said, reigning in her excitement. She looked to the nurse solemnly. “He’ll dust before sunset. The Queen wouldn’t be happy if I brought him back just as he was about to die.”

She hoped the nurse had no knowledge of monsters. That would put a bit of a dent in her new plan, but it wouldn’t be nearly enough to stop her. Fortunately, the nurse’s expression turned mournful. 

“Oh, I see. I should let the doctor know them. There’s really nothing we can do?”

“Fraid not.” She said briskly. “Just leave him here and let nature run its course.”

The nurse glanced back to the skeleton before nodding quietly. 

As she led Alphys out of the room, a wicked smirk twisted her scaley lips. 

She had some bad news to deliver. 

*

A resounding knock echoed on the door. You sat up on the futon, eyeing the small clock hanging on the wall: 7:46AM. 

You rolled onto your feet. With some effort, the door popped open. 

“Okay, I got some donuts and some more coffee. Did you rest?” Chelsea brush past you into the living room, her hands full with a donut case and a cup holder with two large cups of coffee. She set them both down on the stained coffee table and looked at you. 

“I slept for a few minutes, I guess.” You push the door back into place before plopping yourself back on the stiff futon. 

Chelsea hummed as she sat as well, shrugging the laptop bag off her. Within a few minutes she set up her laptop and was already clicking away. She tutted as you watched her, gesturing for you to have some of the treats she provided. 

“Eat. You haven’t since last night.”

You rolled your eyes, but relented. You eyed the assortment from the little window on the box before opening it and selecting the one that appealed to you the most. It was still warm. 

“What are you doing?”

“Just doing a little research.” She said simply.

“On what?”

“That jerk from last night. I wanna know who he is.”

“Why bother?” You grumble, sitting back on the couch.

“I’m just curious.” She said lightheartedly. “Ah-hah!”

“What?”

Chelsea went silent, reading something on her screen. Her expression changed significantly, fueling your curiosity. You leaned over to try to see what she had found. 

“His name is Sans Serif,” She said, tilting the screen so you could both see. “There’s not a whole lot about him yet, but the wikia says he’s the Queen’s advisor. Look at how much it says he’s worth!!”

You looked to where she was pointing and choke mid-bite on your donut. 

“Holy crap! That’s more than I could ever hope to make! Is that in Gold or US Dollars??”

“It doesn’t say.” She shrugs. “But man, that makes a little more sense as to why he went off on you. He’s got a lot of status.”

You huffed. It didn’t matter how much status he had. Would it have killed him to be a decent person? You’ve known the guy less than 10 minutes total and he managed to completely disarm you emotionally. It was like he knew exactly what to say. Greg had to send you home early last night to recover from your prompted panic attack. Chelsea went with you, refusing to let you alone until you properly rested. 

She poked her tongue into her cheek, clicking away at her keyboard. “There’s gotta be more here.” 

“Again, why bother?” You stuffed the rest of your donut in your mouth, not caring about your manners. “I never want to see him again for as long as I live.”

Chelsea’s phone buzzed, vibrating the couch. She pulled the device from her pocket to check it. She raised her eyebrows. 

“It’s funny you say that.”

You squinted at that. She turned her phone over to you, letting you see the breaking news article. You tried not to look to eager to read it. 

“Unidentified Monster Fished From the Local Bay!” The headline read. Under it was a picture of Sans. Mud was caked to his skull and he looked dazed. You pulled the phone closer to you, muttering as you read the article aloud. 

“Resources tell us that a skeleton monster was found earlier this morning by a couple of teens. Said monster was brought to the hospital for examination. While the hospital kept their comments brief, it was gathered that the monster claims to have no recollection of his identity. The Queen will send for someone to identify him- further updates pending.”

“He’s got amnesia?” Chelsea asked in disbelief. “That’s crazy!”

“It’s no big deal.” You gave her the phone back. “The Queen will have him back soon enough. I don’t care enough to worry about him.”

She scrolled through her phone. “There’s another article,” She said. “‘One of the Queen’s guards came to identify the monster this morning. However it was commented that the monster was in poor condition, and his injuries are too severe to treat. It has been said that there’s only a matter of time before the monster will dust.”

You made a face. “He’s gonna die?”

“I guess so.“ she said softly.

You two sat in silence for a second. 

“I know he was a jerk and all, but do you think we should-“

“You’re not seriously thinking of visiting him, are you?!” You bristled. You calmed for a second, remembering that the twins were still sleeping down the hall.

“I mean, what’s the harm?” Chelsea reasoned. “He doesn’t remember you, so you don’t have to worry about that. And anyways, he’s probably in a coma or something by now.”

“So why should we go and see him? We’re not exactly buddy-buddy with him. Besides, the hospital probably won’t even let us see him since we’re not even remotely family.”

“First off, the guys dying. Just because he was insensitive to you doesn’t mean you should be. And secondly, don’t even worry. I have a plan.”

You didn’t like the mischievous glint in her eyes. And something told you that you wouldn’t have a choice in any of this. 

You were sweating bullets when you and Chelsea approached the receptionist. She looked up at the two of you idly. 

“Can I help you?”

“Y-yeah. We wanted to visit the...the monster you guys took in?”

She looked skeptical. “And what’s your relation to the patient.”

You hesitated, and Chelsea roughly elbowed you. You felt like you were going to throw up.

“He’s my husband. I...heard he was found, and that he‘s dying.”

It sounded stupid in your ears. You couldn’t even imagine how dumb the receptionist thought you were. You were expecting her to laugh at you, to call security and have you thrown into jail for lying. The seconds ticked by so slowly-

Instead of doing any of those things, she sighed in relief. “Understandable. He’s in room 304.”

You stood slack-jawed for a moment. That actually worked?

Chelsea pulled you along while you dealt with the adrenaline that rushed through your veins. This felt illegal. Wasn’t this illegal? Couldn’t you get into trouble for this? Chelsea didn’t seem to be bothered by this. Why couldn’t she have pretended to be his wife? This was all her idea!

Room 304 was just down the hall. There was a flurry of activity in that area. Someone was barking orders, and nurses were rushed to and fro. You wanted to pull back. That wasn’t something you wanted to get caught up in. Maybe he was already dead and the staff was trying to figure out what to do with the body. 

Your resistance didn’t faze your friend one bit. She held onto you tightly, determined to pull you forward. 

You caught eye with one of the doctors when you were close enough. He looked ragged. 

“Who might you be?” He asked. “I don’t think he’s wanting visitors right now.”

“He’s still alive?” You asked. 

The doctor glanced at the door to Sans’ room. “More than. Who are you?”

“I-I’m his wife. I thought he was dying?”

“DO I LOOK LIKE A FOOL TO YOU?? I ASKED FOR A WELL DONE STEAK AND YOU SERVE ME THIS TASTELESS MUSH??” Sans’ voice rang out from the room. A nurse was retreating, her hands shaking as she held his food tray with him.

The doc cringed along with the two of you. “Bless your Soul. He’s doing just fine. Just...agitated. This way.” 

As the doctor led you two through the crowd of nurses, you felt your blood run cold. Sans was okay? He wasn’t dying? What did that mean for you??

You squeezed into the room, just as the rest of the nurses were leaving. Sans was sat up in bed, his violet eye sockets glaring at the lot of you as soon as you entered. 

“S-sir, your wife has come to visit you.”

Sans narrowed his eyes at the doctor, his scowl deepening. “I don’t have a wife.”

All eyes turned to you, and you swallowed the lump in your throat. 

“W-What do you mean...honey?” The words sounded too sweet. You wanted to gag. “Of course you do.”

Sans sneered at you. “That’s ridiculous. I’d never have such a weak human as a mate.”

Ouch. You bristled a bit, but the doctor put a hand on your shoulder. 

“Your case of amnesia is only temporary,” he assured him. “I’m sure with some time at home, you’ll start to get back your memories in no time.”

Home? Your home?

Was it too late to back out of this? Jail time seemed more appealing than inviting this cretin into your home. 

“I’m not buying it. And I’m not leaving with her.” Sans scoffed. “I’d much rather rot in this hellhole.”

Yes. Please do that.

“Unfortunately, there’s not much else we can do for you here.” The doctor said, though his tone was far from apologetic. “I’ll get the nurse to gather your things and get your discharge papers in order.”

Sans only growled, his glare almost burning a hole in the back of the doctor’s head as he left. The second the door shut, his sockets were on you again.

“Wife.” He repeated incredulously. “As if. I don’t know what kind of trickery you are trying to pull, but I refuse to believe it. You’re not even wearing a collar!”

“Collar?”

“Yes! That is the most important identifier of an intimate relationship!”

You made a face. “A collar.” You repeated. 

“Yes, a collar! Are you deaf, too?”

You bit back a snarky reply.

“Collars are for dogs.” Chelsea said. “Why would you think your wife of all people would wear a collar?”

“Because, I-“ he stopped suddenly. His eyes widened into a blank stare. For a moment, he struggled to piece together an answer. “I...don’t know.”

His tone was softer. Unsure. He stared at you doubtfully, the heat behind his gaze cooling. “Are you...really my mate?”

Chelsea elbowed you when you took a long time to answer. 

“Yeah...”

*

Toriel looked tired when Alphys walked into her quarters. Chara was sat in her lap. The small red-headed child was absolutely tiny compared to the Queen, with her massive paw covering their entire backside as Toriel hugged them to her. 

Alphys hung her head as she approached. “I apologize for interrupting, Queen Toriel. I have news about Sans.”

Toriel perked. “Yes? Well?”

Alphys took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “Sans was at the hospital, but...his injuries were too severe. The humans claimed they did all they could to save him, but I’m afraid he...”

The rest of the sentence hung in the air. Toriel covered her mouth with her paw. Chara deflated a bit. Silence fell over the room as the loss registered in their mind. 

“I see.” Toriel said. She cleared her throat, but her voice still wavered. “In light of this then, we should head back. To properly...mourn the loss of our dear friend. Does Papyrus know?”

Alphys shook her head. “I came straight from the hospital, my Queen. You were the first to know.”

The Queen nodded solemnly. “I will deliver the news to him myself then. Let the Guard know to gather the monsters for the journey home.

”Until further notice Captain, you will take Sans’ place as my personal guard.” She finished, swallowing the lump in her throat. “You are dismissed.”

The lizard only nodded solemnly, bowing low, before exiting the Queen’s room. When the door shut firmly behind her, she clapped her claw over her mouth to stifle the triumphant laugh that bubbles up within her. 

It worked!

Alphys scuttled off to give the guards their new orders.

And afterwards, she’d make another trip to the hospital just before they set sail to...tie up loose ends....

“Sorry ma’am, but that patient was checked out not too long ago.” 

“By who?” Alphys demanded. “He was almost dead a couple hours ago!”

“His...wife?” The receptionist cowered.

_Wife? Sans didn’t have a wife-_

Alphys had to keep from slapping herself. Why was she complaining?

Her problem has just solved itself! If a nasty human just so happened to kidnap him, it’d save her from having to get her claws dirty.

She doubted any other type of human would have the guts to even approach Sans any other way. Even so, the chances of him returning were minuscule, especially with nothing familiar to trigger his memories.

This was _perfect_. 

“Good to know. Have a nice day.” She said cheerily. The receptionist was perplexed by her sudden change of attitude, but Alphys didn’t care. 

Everything was going her way for once. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus doesn’t believe Sans is dead.
> 
> Amnesia or no, Sans prefers to be the one who provides. 
> 
> He also has a change of heart.

“Wait, why are you leaving me in the car with him??” Chelsea hissed at you, grabbing at your arm. You glared sharply at her, prying her fingers from your arm wordlessly. 

“Excuse me, but I can  _hear _you.” Sanssaid in annoyance. You huffed and refrained from shifting your glare to the backseat. 

Sans was sat back, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He was wearing his outfit from last night, which the hospital so kindly washed for him. It brought to your attention that your pretend-husband had no other clothes whatsoever, and you didn’t have any inconspicuous way to get ahold of clothes for him. 

So you were at Nana’s. 

You slid out of the car, motioning for Chelsea to follow. 

“Because this was all  your idea. Why are we doing this??” You snapped at her. 

“I don’t know! I thought he was dying! I just wanted to be a decent person! I didn’t expect the doctor to just let you take him home!” She cried, keeping her voice low enough so Sans wouldn’t hear. 

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Well now I have a pissy skeleton on my hands, to add to all the other things I’ve been juggling.” 

“Okay, yeah, this wasn’t my most brilliant plan, but look at the bright side! You have extra hands to help around the house.”

That got a bark of laughter out of you. “Help? You think this guy is actually going to help me?” Your voice got louder. “He doesn’t even like me! The only reason he’s even here right now is because the doctor forced him to leave. With or without amnesia, he hates my guts and I frankly don’t have the time to deal with him.”

Chelsea pursed her lips together for a moment, thinking. “You could always try. He’s stuck with you for a while. Make him get it through his thick skull that you’re not going to tolerate any of his bull, and force him to help you whether he likes it or not.”

 _He’s_ stuck with  _you_ ? That was a different way to look at it. 

You glanced at him through the car window. He was pouting to himself, brows furrowed and mouth pressed into a heavy frown. 

Your lips pulled up a bit. Maybe this could work for a while? 

“I’ll think about it.” You said, motioning for her to follow you up the walkway to the front door. 

*

“With or without amnesia, he hates my guts, and I frankly don’t have the time to deal with him.” Her voice was slightly muffled through the window, but the ice in her tone was prevalent. 

Well of course he didn’t like her. Something deep inside him was troubled at the thought of her being his mate. She was cold and distant and quite rude. And when she confirmed to him that she was his wife, she hesitated. It was the exact opposite reaction he would’ve expected from someone who was supposed to be devoted to him. 

Everything about this felt wrong. 

But, like the two had so kindly pointed out, he had no choice but to go with her. Like it or not, he WAS stuck with her. At least until he could get his memories back.

He remembered little things, like what he liked and disliked. And right now the list of what he didn’t like was growing. 

The stench of oil and gasoline assaulted his senses and made him lightheaded. The music on the radio was grating to his non-existent ears. And not to mention, he was still quite sore from whatever had happened to bring him to this point in the first place. 

All in all, he felt absolutely miserable. He wasn’t going to let the humans know that though. He felt the need to keep these feelings to himself; showing weakness to his supposed wife wouldn’t make things any better, he reasoned. 

The girls disappeared into the house. After a while, he was starting to get fidgety. It felt like forever had passed when they finally came out. He caught a glimpse of the owner in the doorway, a shriveled raisin of a woman, with a smile kinder than he’d ever seen. 

His “wife” had a box of something in her arms, which she promptly threw into the trunk before the two girls climbed back into the car. 

He was appalled at the state of his (new?) home. The grounds were severely unkept, and the house itself looked like it should’ve been demolished years ago. It was tiny and dirty and you could hardly see through the grime that tinted the windows. 

He felt like he shouldn’t have had to add “dirty house” to the list of things he didn’t like, but here he was. 

His “wife” grabbed the big box from the back, leaving him in the car with her friend. The silence between the two of them was suffocating, so instead of trying to make conversation, he roughly shoved the car door open and climbed out. 

His boots became dusty on the dirt path that led up to the front door, and Sans felt his socket twitch with annoyance. The porch croaked pitifully as he walked across it, stepping into the house. 

It was just as bad as the outside. 

Dust covered absolutely everything. Which, he noticed, wasn’t very much to begin with. The living room consisted of a small futon couch, a stained coffee table, and a small TV. 

To his left was the entrance leading into a cramped kitchen space. The counters were bare except for a skimpy coffeemaker and an impressive pile of bills. His eye lights trailed across the dirty floor up to the fridge, which was covered from top to bottom with children’s drawings. He felt himself stiffen as his gaze caught onto a particular picture: a crudely drawn family that consisted of “Mommy”, “Wyatt”, and “Me”. 

He was in none of these pictures. 

“Isabel and Wyatt are at school right now.” His supposed wife came up behind him. “They’re twins.”

“I supposed you’re going to try to convince me that they are mine?” He asked sarcastically. He paused. “I’m not in any of these pictures. Why?”

“You’re never home.” She said with a raise of her eyebrow. “The kids haven’t seen you in forever. Why would they draw a picture of a father that isn’t there?”

He didn’t have a response to that. 

“Anyways, I’ve got to pick them up in a few hours from school and I have errands to run. Nana has some clothes she let you borrow, since you lost all your clothes when you left. They’re in that box in the living room. There’s also bedsheets on the futon whenever you feel like setting it up.”

“Wait, I’m not sleeping in our bed?” He asked incredulously. Wasn’t that a thing married couples were supposed to do?

“ _My_ bed.” She corrected him. “And no. You up and leave us, get yourself hurt, and then expect to just waltz back in and things were gonna be peachy?” 

Sans found himself speechless. He left them? Was that why she was being so cold to him?

*

It was satisfying to watch his pompous attitude deflate with your words. 

You didn’t want him anywhere near you while you slept, especially on the off-chance he believed you were actually his wife. You shuddered to think of the implications of it. 

Nana and Chelsea helped collaborate a rather convincing story to keep Sans’ suspicions at bay until you could figure out how to get yourself out of this mess.

If he asked, you would tell him that you hadn’t seen him in a while. The two of you had a rather nasty fight, and he took his things and left. It wasn’t too much of a stretch, seeing as you two were already butting heads. All you had to do now was warn the twins of this new development and hope they loved you enough to play along with this crazy idea. 

“What am I supposed to do until you get back?” He asked. 

“Find a way to make yourself useful.” You said simply. 

You heard him grumble under his breath, but you had already gathered your keys into your hand and were heading out the door. 

You didn’t really have errands to run as much as you needed space to think this through. 

*

Papyrus knew by the morose looks on his friends faces that something was wrong. The absence of his older brother amongst the crowd of returning monsters was another sign, one that he didn’t want to accept. 

The Queen took him aside personally and confirmed his fears: his older brother had gone missing the night before. He had been taken and “treated” at a human hospital, but by the time Alphys went to retrieve him, he was already dust. 

It didn’t make any sense. He knew his brother to be incredibly stubborn. It didn’t seem right that Sans would die so  easily . 

His Soul hurt to even consider the possibility. 

Alphys was no help. She had a lot on her plate now that she was promoted to take Sans’ place as the Queen’s new guard. Which didn’t sit well with Papyrus. To have his brother replaced so effortlessly made his metaphorical blood boil. 

He couldn’t accept it. There was something else going on here. There HAD to be. Sans was too stubborn to die easily, and knowing that Alphys, who clearly disliked his brother, was instantly promoted to take his place just seemed too much of a coincidence. 

The Queen has asked if there was anything she could do to make things easier for him. 

He requested to be on the next ship back to the town where his brother passed. 

Papyrus was going to get to the bottom of this.

*

Isabel and Wyatt were abnormally quiet as the three of you entered the house. You couldn’t blame them. They were about to meet the monster you had claimed to be their father. It was enough to make anyone nervous. 

“Hold up!” Came Sans’ command. He emerged from the kitchen area, and you fought the urge to laugh.

Apparently he had changed into the clothes Nana let you borrow. They belonged to her late husband. He wasn’t a very big man, but he liked his clothes loose. The fact that Sans was an incredibly thin skeleton made it worse. 

The t-shirt was big enough for him to swim in it, tucked in as much as he could manage into his pants. The faded blue jeans he wore were held up on his hips by a thick belt, of which he poked a few extra holes into to accommodate his thin nature.

“Shoes off.” He demanded, blocking the entryway until the three of you complied. 

“What makes you think you can just order us around?” You asked defensively. You still took your shoes off. Satisfied, Sans stepped aside and let you pass. 

You didn't get much farther than that, taking in the view. The living room was immaculate. The floors had been swept and vacuumed. The room had been thoroughly been dusted and every surface had been wiped down. The streak-less windows were cracked, letting the warm afternoon breeze drift into the room. It carried away the musty smell that the three of you had gotten so used to. 

“You...cleaned?” 

“Of course I did.” Sans scoffed. “This house has been neglected for heaven knows how long. I couldn’t stand sitting in this filth for one more minute.”

Color you impressed. You managed to ignore the scornful tone of his voice as you explored your clean home. You stepped into the kitchen. The floors were still drying, and the previously unused mop was sat in the corner. 

To clean all of this in less than a few hours was a feat you couldn’t have hoped to accomplish in your lifetime. Working almost 24/7 kept you from properly maintaining your home, and it wasn’t very clean when you originally moved in. 

Maybe this arrangement wouldn’t be so bad?

*

The two young children had retreated to their rooms. Sans was hesitant to approach them, and they were wary of him as well. 

Meanwhile, his “wife” was in her room, with the door shut tightly. He found himself alone once again. 

Unsure of what to do, he sat on his (hopefully temporary) bed. The sheets sat folded next to him, but he didn’t want to seem too eager to rest by preparing the couch for him to sleep on. Still, there wasn’t much else for him to do now, and there was no one currently to stop him from doing so. He relented, grabbing the stiff sheet and beginning to fix the fitted corner over the edge of the cushion. 

Something crinkled under the cushion, catching his attention. Curious, he lifted the seat up enough to see a couple envelopes that had been hurriedly stashed underneath. He pulled them out of their hiding spot, fixing the cushion back into place before looking over what he had discovered. 

There were several letters still stuffed in the envelopes. The crinkled white paper had bright bold letters printed across them, and the most recent one was dated only a few days ago. 

*

There was a sharp knock on your door, and you resisted the urge to groan. You finished buttoning up your work blouse before heading over and opening the door. 

Sans looked mad. He held up a couple envelopes, and your blood ran cold as you recognized them. You moved to snatch the papers from his hand, but he stepped back out of your reach.

“Where did you get those? That’s none of your business!” 

“None of my business?” He repeated. “These are eviction warnings! What part of this isn’t of my concern?”

You reached to grab the papers from him again, but he stood firm. You glance behind him towards the kid’s room, hastily motioning him into your room. His expression changed into something akin to frustration as he does so, and you shut the door behind him. 

“Why were you hiding these?”

“Because, like I said, it’s none of your business. I’ve got this. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. I get paid tomorrow-“

“Do I have a job?” Sans asked suddenly. 

You paused. “What?”

He looked...worried. The anger and snottiness from earlier was completely gone. “Please tell me I had a job.”

“I...I don’t know.” 

He groans, exasperated. Somehow you could tell it wasn’t because of you. Youreach out to take the papers from him again while he’s distracted with his thoughts. He lets you, turning away and muttering to himself as you go to file the envelopes away. 

*

_What was he doing? _

Sans couldn’t sort out what exactly he was feeling right now. Personal issues set aside, these three were in dire need of assistance. And yet here his supposed wife was, too proud and stubborn to bother even showing concern over the possibility that she and her kids might end up in the street. Was she really that numb to the threat? 

Whatever had happened before was irrelevant now. Even though he was still on the fence about whether or not she was his truly his mate, the urge to provide and protect flared up within him. He was ashamed at the person he used to be, letting his own pride get in the way of him fulfilling his role. This girl was working herself to death to provide for her kids- something that he should have been doing.

“I need to get a job.” He said.

“Woah, wait. Why? I’ve got it!” She insisted. “I’ve got two jobs, Sans. I get paid tomorrow and then I can get everything cleared-“

“That is unacceptable.” He interrupted her, facing her again. He noticed her indignant expression but ignored it. “Two jobs? Have you even bothered to noticed the conditions you have been living in? No wonder you’re exhausted! I’m not just going to sit and let you work yourself to death because of my insolence and your stubbornness.”

She glared at him as his words hung in the air. They stayed like that for several minutes before she relented. 

“Fine! I’ll talk to Nana and see if she’ll give you a couple shifts at her shop. Happy now?”

“It’s a start.”

Fortunately, Nana was able to give Sans a couple of shifts. 

The only downside? They were during your nightly stocking shifts. 

At first, Nana insisted on just giving Sans your shift altogether. This however, did not sit well with you. It took a lot of convincing to get Nana to relent and let you keep your shift. 

That frustrated Sans further. You could tell as soon as you walked in the next night that he was unhappy you were there. But he didn’t say anything. 

Things were strangely normal after that. You’d head to work in the mornings while the kids were taken to school by Nana. Sans would stay at the house and take care of the chores and prep the meals, per his insistence of course. Nana picked up the twins from school until you got off and took them home to bed. Then you’d join Sans in stocking the shop. 

Now that he had a bit more control over certain things, Sans’ attitude improved a little. There was still quite a bit of distance between you though. The most you would interact would be during your shifts. 

Not that you were complaining. 

And the twins were starting to warm up to him. They interacted with him openly whenever he was around. Wyatt was especially curious about him. Sans still seemed hesitant around them.

It wasn’t until almost a week passed that Sans started to voice his frustrations about your work habits. 

It had been a particularly long day at work, and you were coming to the shop an hour later than usual because of it. You had just unlocked the door and stepped inside, shedding your jacket. Sans was there, arms crossed as he blocked the doorway. 

“What?” 

“I talked to Nana earlier,” he started. “We both agree that it would be best that I take over your shift here.”

” _What_?” 

“You’re going to go home and rest.” He said, his firm tone conveying no room for argument. 

Doesn’t mean you weren’t going to fight it. “What gives you the idea that I’m going to just let you take my shift? I’m perfectly capable-“

”You’ve gone several nights with only a few hours of sleep. You’re constantly falling asleep. Not to mention, your appearance has only worsened. Has no one else pointed out those horrid circles under your eyes?” 

It was harsh, but it still rang true. You were hardly around him, but somehow he was able to know exactly what was going on. 

Still, you didn’t want to let it go that easily, and Sans seemed to pick up on that. 

He cleared his nonexistent throat. When he continued, his tone was gentler. Genuine, even. “My point is, this isn’t healthy. You’re going to end up collapsing if you keep this up, and I refuse to let it come to that. So...please, don’t make this any harder than it is. Just go home.”

You were speechless. It almost sounded like he cared. Which was crazy, right? 

You couldn’t come up with anything to retaliate that with. It frustrated you, but he wasn’t budging on this. It was pointless to keep going. 

So you shrugged your jacket on and went back home. 

What in the world did he and Nana talk about that sparked this sudden change of character? 

*

It was a slow day, which was unusual for the shop. It gave Nana a little extra time to give her attention to putting up a few displays. 

When the front door opened, she didn’t expect a skeleton monster to walk in. He was wearing her late husband’s clothing, which he had apparently adjusted to better fit his slimmer figure. He looked unsure, but didn’t hesitate to approach her. She could tell he had something heavy on his mind. She gave him her full attention, setting the items in her hands to the side. 

“How did we end up like this?” He asked after a while. 

She didn’t answer immediately. It was hard for her to remember the details of the story she helped to create to keep Sans from getting too suspicious. 

He wasn’t suspicious now. In fact, he looked concerned. 

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific, dear.”

Sans took a moment to find his words. 

“How did we get like this?” He repeated. “I mean, the eviction notes? The long work days? I was told I left because of a terrible fight we had. It didn’t bother me before, but if she’s actually my mate, why doesn’t she act like it? What caused things to get this bad?”

She pursed her thin lips together with a sigh. Too many questions, along with too many chances of answering wrong. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have the answers you’re looking for.” She said softly. When he deflated further, she added, “I only know how _she_ got to this point. Before you came into the picture...”

*

_It was dreary that night. The rain that had earlier poured from the heavens had left the air heavy with humidity. But it felt fresh at the same time._

_She had just finished locking up for the night. Her shop was doing better each day, which encouraged her to keep going each day._

_This particular night changed a lot for her._

_A figure stalked from the shadows, startling her from her thoughts._

_It was a young woman, covered with bruises and different marks. In her arms she cradled a little boy, and on her back clung a little girl. The three of them were soaked, shivering in the cold._

_“Please,” The young woman croaked. “I need...I need help. He’s sick.”_

_As if on cue, the boy in her arms coughed and groaned weakly. The older woman went to check the boy. The back of her hand pressed gently against his forehead. Sure enough, despite the chill in the air, he was unusually warm._

_The four of them visited the emergency room that night. They waited long into the night to be seen by one of the doctors, who confirmed that the boy was sick. Fortunately, it was nothing more than a common cold, which the older woman gladly paid for treatment._

_The three stayed with her for a while. She didn’t have much, but it was more than what they had._

_She learned the boy and girl were twins, and the young woman was their mother. She kept the details vague, but by her brief story and the marks that had recently started to fade from her skin, it was easy to see they had escaped poor conditions. There was no assurance that the person(s) who had done this wouldn’t be able to track them, but the older woman gave her word to the small family that she would do everything she could to keep them safe._

_With some help, the young woman was able to enroll her children into school. They were ecstatic to be able to be around kids their age. And the young woman was employed at the shop for a while, until she managed to get something a little more stable._

_It took some time, but eventually the three of them moved into a small home of their own. The older woman helped them get settled with basic furniture and necessities. It was unspoken between the two ladies that if the younger needed anything, the older would do her best to provide._

_Even so, the younger was determined to be independent at any cost. She couldn’t blame her- depending on someone almost cost them dearly._

_It only made sense that she would give her all to be able to give her children the world._

*

Sans felt relieved when his mate begrudgingly agreed to hand over her shift, though he was almost certain it would come up in conversation again at some point. 

But he had to be firm. Knowing what he does now, he couldn’t let her continue the way she was. They might struggle for a bit financially until Sans was able to get a better job, but for now he could take comfort in knowing he was finally stepping up to take care of her and the kids without her continuing to run herself ragged.

He hoped that things would eventually fall into place. 

Except now, he wasn’t all that excited at the idea of getting his memory back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt a bit choppy to me, but I needed to get all of this in there. I'm tired and pretty sure there's some mistakes. If anything's unclear, lemme know and I'll explain it and edit the chapter.   
> Otherwise, thank you! All your comments have been so encouraging! I’m really happy you all are enjoying the chapter :)
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr!](https://wholesomeremorse.tumblr.com/)!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like pianos and bullies to bring a family together, huh?

Sans laid back on the couch, his arm laid across his skull to block the light coming in through the window. It was late morning, and yet the day already felt like it was dragging. 

Isabel woke up sick in the middle of the night. His mate was calm as she cleaned up the mess, and left Sans a rather detailed list of instructions before she left for work, of which he was grateful for.

At first, it seemed like nothing was working. She couldn't hold anything in her stomach for very long, and it was starting to worry him. This time however, it seemed her stomach was starting to settle enough for her to eat a few saltines and some water. She was in her room, resting. 

Sans had been up with her throughout the night and long after her brother had been taken to school without her. Wyatt almost begged to stay home with his sister, and Sans was almost moved to let him- there was something desperate in his eyes as he looked between him and his mother as he asked to stay. It was insisted that he go to school however, and Sans kept his observance to himself for now.

The house was quiet now, empty of the earlier sounds of groaning and retching. Sans had never heard that sound before, and it made his bones crawl to think about it. He was fully aware of his lack of internal organs, but he still gagged nonetheless.

Sans was almost asleep when he heard a soft pinging of piano notes. He sat up slowly, listening to try to identify the source. He got up and followed it down the hall to the twin’s room. The door was open partially, and he peeked in.

Isabel was sitting up in her bed. Across her small lap sat a keyboard. Her fingers picked at the different keys, face scrunched up a bit in focus. She choppily played a short melody, huffing in frustration when she hit the wrong notes.

“Hey,” he said softly, drawing her attention to him. “How are you feeling?”

”I’m okay.” She replied, looking back down at the piano. She tapped a few more keys. She looked back up to him. “Hey Dad, do you play the piano?” 

Did he? 

“I...don’t know. Why?”

Isabel looked disappointed. “I wanna play it, but it’s so hard. Mom can’t teach me, either.”

And with their current finances, lessons would be out of the question. 

Sans frowned a bit. “May I?” He stepped into the room some, gesturing to her bed. She nodded, scooting far enough to make room beside her. He sat down next to her, sinking into the mattress some as she passed him the keyboard. 

It was clearly worn, and even chipped in some places. Clearly a second-hand purchased. He traced his phalanges over some of the keys before hovering his hands above them in a neutral position. He delicately pressed on one of the keys, eliciting a clear note. 

He slowly tried to pick the notes Isabel had been playing earlier. The melody came out smoother, albeit a little rusty. 

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star..._

The bright look on Isabel’s face was encouraging. He felt his mouth pull into a small smile as he continued. 

It didn’t take him long to figure all the notes out. He pulled the little girl into his lap, with the keyboard now in front of both of them. He coached her gently on where to put her hands, and guided her through the melody. 

Within an hour or so, she was already gaining more fluidity. The song was still a bit rough in some parts, but she caught onto his teachings quickly. 

Sans felt a small sense of pride catch in his Soul as he sat back and watched the young girl play through the song on her own. 

How could he have left this? 

The phone in the next room rang out, and Isabel stopped playing. Sans helped her settle back into bed before he rushed to answer it. 

“Is this Wyatt’s mother?” A voice came from the receiver. 

Sans cleared his throat. “No...this is his father.” 

“Well, one of you is going to have to come here to take Wyatt home.”

“Why? What’s the problem? Is he sick?”

“No sir. Your son has gotten into a fight with one of the other students.”

*

Papyrus stepped off the boat, a bit lightheaded. The trip had been a little rough on his system, and he was glad for the earth beneath his shoes once again. 

The Queen would be docking shortly in another vessel, but he wasn’t obligated to stay and wait for her. 

He fished a folded piece of paper from his deep pockets, unfolding it. His older brother glared back at him from the picture in his hands, his scowl deep. Papyrus remembered taking this picture not too long after the Queen had promoted him. He was dressed in his sharp new uniform, which was hand-stitched by the Queen herself. Before the picture was taken, Sans was busy preening himself, relishing in his new attire. When Papyrus approached him with a camera, his proud smile dipped into a scowl and his brows furrowed to show distain for having his picture taken without consent. Papyrus still kept it though. And he was glad for it; looking at the creased photo strengthened his resolve to find his brother. 

He folded and pocketed the picture, heading out into the town. 

Toriel and Alphys watched from the deck of the other boat as the tall skeleton disappeared into the crowd. 

The Queen sighed heavily. “Sans’ death has taken a heavy toll upon us all. I fear that his brother will be in denial for quite some time.”

Alphys hid her nerves behind a stone-faced expression. “I agree. Hopefully he doesn’t get himself hurt in the process.”

She hoped the younger skeleton wouldn’t sniff too deeply into her story. She knew he cared for his brother. At the same time, Papyrus had a bad tendency to abandon complicated tasks if he wasn’t forced to pursue them. She hoped this would translate to this situation. 

Her Soul beat rapidly at the thought of him finding Sans alive. 

She had to find some way to confirm he was actually dead, or to keep Papyrus from finding him.

“If it pleases my Queen, I would like to offer to keep watch over Papyrus.” She said smoothly.

The Queen considered this a moment. “Very well. Do keep him safe, will you?”

The lizard nodded. “I will do my best, my Queen.”

*

Sans kept Isabel in his arms as he walked down the school hallway. She was still weak from her illness, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave her at home by herself. Nana was busy running the shop, so she had to come with him to check out the situation with Wyatt. 

Right now, she was relaxed in his arms, her jacket wrapped tightly around her as she clung to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He kept a steady arm underneath her, occasionally rubbing her back when she groaned softly. 

Navigating through the empty halls was tricky. The front desk had given him vague instructions on how to get to the administrative offices, where Wyatt was being kept. He was warned that the next bell would ring any minute now, and the halls would be then filled with children bustling to get to their next class. The thought brought a sense of urgency in his steps as he turned down another hall. 

Finally he saw the sign above the door further down the hall, pointing him to the office. The bell rang just as he ducked into the doorway, sighing with relief. 

Another short hallways greeted him, both sides lined with doors. He scanned the name tags of each one until he saw the name of the gentleman that had called him earlier. He knocked politely, opening the door when he heard confirmation on the other side. 

Wyatt sat in the corner by himself, his head hung low. In the other corner was another boy, who looked a little older than Wyatt. The boy’s mother sat in a chair next to him. She glared up at the skeleton, to which he promptly ignored in favor of approaching the desk in front of him. 

“Glad you could join us, Mister-”

“Just Sans is fine.” He interrupted briskly. “What exactly happened?”

“Your son attacked my boy.” The mother accused. 

“Is that so?” Sans raised a brow. He looked towards Wyatt again. 

The boy was silent, hands clasped tightly together in his lap. Slowly, Wyatt looked up, and Sans’ breath caught as he spotted the bruise that stained his cheek. His lip was also cut, and he had an overall roughed up appearance. He looked to the other boy, assessing him. 

There was no tell-tale sign that the boy had even been in a fight, besides a faint crinkle in his t-shirt, where it looked like someone had grabbed him. 

When Sans looked back at Wyatt, his eye lights met his gaze. That desperation from earlier was back, coupled with a tense fear that made Sans bristle. 

The administrator and the mother and son watched as Sans approached Wyatt. He held his hand out, helping the boy to his feet. Wordlessly, he guided him out the door, motioning for the three of them to wait until he got back. 

“I didn’t do anything.” Wyatt said softly as the door shut behind them. His tone was wobbly, like he was trying not to cry as he pleaded for the monster to believe him. 

Sans shushed him, kneeling down to pull him into a short embrace. “I know. Take care of your sister while I handle this.”

Isabel had already stirred in the office. When Sans set her on her own two feet, she immediately embraced her brother. It seemed she was fully aware of what was going on as well. 

Sans left the two of them in the secluded hallway, stepping into the room again. 

“Well, as I said over the phone, it was decided that Wyatt will be suspended for two weeks in punishment for getting involved in a fight.”

“Glad that it’s settled,” the mother said, grasping her sons hand. They both stood. 

“ _ **S i t**_.” Sans commanded. His tone was heavy, laced with anger. The two of them froze in place, looking between him and the administrator before sinking back down into their chairs. 

Sans’ posture straightened, his hands finding their way to his hips as he stared down at the three of them. 

“If you truly believe that my son has attacked yours, you are an incredibly naive human.” He said firmly. The woman’s mouth opened to protest, but he cut her off with a glare. “And what kind of school is this? A child gets beaten up in a fight and you take the side of the bully?”

The administrator fumbled for words. “W-well we have eye witnesses that c-can testify to seeing Wyatt attack the student.”

“Eye-witnesses? This is a school. Children can be easily intimidated and swayed to say what others want them to say. This child clearly had no qualms of laying his hands on my son, and I have a feeling his reputation among the student body precedes him.”

“That’s stupid! My son would never hurt anyone.” The mother argued. 

“Stupid?” He asked incredulously. He advanced on the both of them until he was standing over them. “That boy doesn’t even have a mark on him. In fact, the only mark I see are the wrinkles on his shirt. Maybe it’s because you lot are pathetic slobs, but it could also be due to my son trying to push yours off of him.”

“We don’t have to sit here anymore. Your son was already suspended and the case is closed. Now if you’ll excuse me-“

“ _You. Will. **S i t**_.” 

“Now, Mister Sans, there’s no need to get worked up about this.” The administrator stood. “If this is all a misunderstanding, I will get to the bottom of it. If it makes you feel any better, I can shorten the suspension and extend it to both students-“

“My son didn’t do anything!”

“ ** _Shut up_**!” Sans’ magic crackled in his socket, quieting the room in an instant. It pulsed and filled the room, weighing down the air. The mother and son shivered in fear. The administrator cowered as Sans turned his full attention to him. 

“Wyatt will return to school tomorrow. He will not be punished for something he didn’t do. Whether or not you suspend this boy for bullying him will be your call. But I warn you now, if I hear of my son being bullied again, there will be hell to pay. _Do I make myself clear_?” 

His glare swept across the room, and each head nodded fearfully. Sans let his magic dissipate. 

“Perfect.”

Wyatt was quick to cling to Sans when he emerged from the room again. He wordlessly gathered both children in his arms, carrying them both home with him. 

*

Nana had let you know that Sans had picked up Wyatt early from school, and that he wasn’t leaving to work his shift until you came home. 

So you got off work as early as you could, which was still quite late. At this point, you were sure the twins would be in bed when you arrived. 

You weren’t wrong. All lights in the home save for the living room were shut off. Sans was waiting for you when you managed to slide the door back into place behind you. 

“What happened? Why did Wyatt come home early? Is Isabel okay?” You bombarded him with questions. 

Sans quieted you. “Isabel is fine. Wyatt was a bit roughed up today-“

“He got into a fight?!”

He looked irked that you interrupted him. “One of the students hit him. From what he and Isabel told me, he’s been getting bullied at that school. Isabel has been the one keeping things at bay, but since she wasn’t at school today, well...”

That’s why he didn’t want to go to school without her. She was protecting him.

A sharp pang of jealously courses through you after that realization passed. They told  _him_ what was going on. 

They didn’t tell _you_. 

Sans misunderstood why you looked upset. “I took care of it. They wanted to suspend him, but I talked them down from it.”

The soft tenderness in his assurance caught you off guard. “You stood up for him?”

“Was I not supposed to?” He sounded bewildered. 

“No, I mean-“ you corrected yourself. “Why? You could’ve called me?“

“You were working.” He said, slightly annoyed. “Besides, isn’t it my job as their father to stand up for them?”

Well yeah, but...

_Was he accepting them as his kids?_

Sans didn’t wait for you to answer. His eye lights glanced up at the old clock on the wall. “I need to get to work.“

You didn’t stop him, stepping aside so he could pass. He hesitated as he walked past you, startling you a bit when he turned to face you fully.

He was so close now. You had to look up a bit to meet his eyes. His dim eye lights were trained away from you, though. 

“I...This is long overdue, and I know this may not amount to much now, but...I’m sorry.”

You choked.

“I’ve been horrible to you. I may not remember anything, but I can see I’ve clearly been neglecting you. And them,” he paused to send his gaze down the hall where the twins were sleeping. “I appreciate you for giving me another chance. For...letting me fix my mistakes.”

His gaze met yours, and you were stunned. You found yourself looking at a completely different person now. Less than a week ago he looked like he hated your guts. But now, all of his pride and callousness had melted into genuine remorse. His eye lights searched your expression almost desperately before he sighed and looked down again. 

“I do not expect you to forgive me right away. I haven’t done nearly enough to earn that from you. But I felt like it needed to be said anyways. I hope I can make things up to you in the future.

“In the meantime...” You stiffened as he leaned in. His bone connected to your forehead briefly before he stepped back. 

He smiled softly. “Get some rest, okay?”

With that, he left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little fun fact, Sans doesn’t drive, and he doesn’t teleport right now either. 
> 
> So did he walk across town with children in his arms? 
> 
> Absolutely. And tender father BlackBerry is my weakness. 
> 
> Also~ we’re almost halfway through the story, people!!! I’m freaking out a little honestly. How’re you all liking it so far? 
> 
> Comments are highly appreciated :)


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guilt is starting to wear you down...

For the next few mornings, heading out for work was…interesting.

Sans made breakfast for the family each day, but the thought of sitting down to eat with them made your face warm. You tried to leave early, hugging and kissing the twins goodbye quickly, and avoiding interacting with Sans anymore than mumbling goodbye to the group.

_Why were you suddenly so flustered around him?_

You knew why, but you didn’t want to think about it. It was hard to sleep that night with how hot your face was, and how restless you felt with your heart beating quickly every time you thought about it. It affected you at odd point in the day. You couldn’t even look at Sans without your mind bringing forth the feeling of his cool bone against your forehead. You couldn’t believe Sans was capable of something so endearing.

Even now, you felt your cheeks flush as you pulled out of the driveway this morning.

This shouldn’t be happening. Was this going too far? How would you even be able to speak up now? Sans was _actually_ getting into his role as the twin’s father, and slowly warming up to being your husband. It made you feel a little sick as you considered how deep you had dug yourself.

You were so consumed by your thoughts that you walked into someone in the almost-empty parking lot.

He was _tall._ And very solid. You stumbled back a bit, dazed as you craned your neck up to see who you had bumped into.

It was a skeleton. His face was longer than Sans’, with fangs that overlapped the bottom row of teeth. His sockets were smaller too, with a smaller crack running down his cheek. There were dark, dark circles under them as well.

“Sorry to bother ya,” he said, helping you steady yourself. “I’m looking for my brother. Have you seen him?”

At the word “brother”, your stomach twisted almost painfully. And when he handed you the worn picture, it only confirmed your fears. Your hands shook a bit as you pretended to study the picture. You felt Sans’ glare pierce right through you, judging you. You licked your dry lips, mind racing as you tried to find the words.

_Hey so, my friend kinda convinced me to claim to be your brother’s wife, and it turns out he actually believes it and now he’s fully involved in his role as my devoted husband and he doesn’t know that none of it’s true-_

“Papyrus!” A forceful voice barked. It startled a squeak from your lips as another monster stalked up to the two of you. You recognized her as one of the guards from the party, the one with the frighteningly large axe. Said weapon was currently missing from her person, but you still felt uneasy as her glare settled on you.

“Why do you keep stopping random humans like this? She clearly doesn’t know anything!” She snatched the picture from your grip and shoved it at him roughly.

“You don’t know that!” he snapped at her. His anger softened as he looked at you again. “Please? If you know _anything,_ please say so.”

You were caught between the lizard’s heavy glare and Papyrus’ pleading gaze. Your mouth was dry as your mouth opened and closed a few times. The silence was overbearing. You felt panic rise inside of you and your chest suddenly constricted.

“I haven’t seen him!” you wheezed out, turning quickly on your heel and heading back to your car.

Dangerous as it was, you couldn’t just sit in the parking lot, so you drove home in a rush. The early morning traffic had dispersed enough that you were pulling into the driveway in no time.

The second you cut the engine, the string inside of you snapped.

What were you _doing?!_

How could you let it get so far? Guilt tore into you and you fought for breath as your episode continued.

That was Sans’ brother- someone who was so obviously worried sick about him, going so far as to stop random strangers in hope to find someone who might’ve known something. And you knew exactly where Sans was; he was in the house, probably cleaning and resting while the twins enjoyed their weekend. So oblivious to the fact that his current existence was a lie.

He was probably the best thing to have happened to you and the kids. Not just financially, but emotionally. He was the metaphorical glue that brought you all closer together. The twins adored him now, especially Wyatt.

Could you bring yourself to come clean now? You’d be foolish to think everything would be okay if you did; Sans hated you when you first introduced yourself as his wife, how could he not hate you when he finds out you’ve been lying to him the entire time?

Could you break your family apart again?

You heaved another sob, lost in the emotions and guilt that swirled inside you.

The passenger door opened and Sans slid into the car. Through your tears you could see the concern that contorted his features. His hand reached out to rest on your shoulder, and you shied away from his touch. He was determined to comfort you though, adjusting himself and holding his arms out to you silently. You resisted the embrace for only a moment, before giving in and letting him pull you to his chest.

The gesture only made you feel worse. He didn’t know why you were so distraught. He probably thought you were crazy. But even so, he had come to care for your well-being, and although he didn’t know what had brought you to crumble in his arms, he did his best to let you know he was there for you.

You tried to focus on the hand that was smoothing down your back, instead of the sins that were clawing their way over your skin.

*

Papyrus was suspicious as the human girl took off.

She had known something. He wasn’t an expert at reading faces, but the way her eyes flashed with guilt and recognition was telling. His non-existent stomach twisted as he tried to figure out how she could manage such a reaction. Surely she wasn’t strong enough to harm his brother, right?

_Right?_

Papyrus shook his head firmly. No. Sans wasn’t dead. He had to be alive. The human didn’t give off any sort of LoVe, a telltale sign that a human had recently killed a monster.

But still, she had to be involved with Sans somehow, or at least know where he was.

Alphys grunted and grabbed at Papyrus to keep him from following after her. She grumbled under her breath, but he wasn’t concerned. Her attitude was always coarse towards him, ever since Sans proved to be much stronger than her.

But if he wanted to have any hope of talking to that girl again, he had to shake Alphys, and quick. Something told him he wasn’t going to get very far with her breathing down his neck.

*

“Hey, Dad?”

Sans hummed, turning away from the pot he was boiling. Wyatt stood in the doorway to the kitchen, wringing his hands nervously as he toed at the ground. “What’s on your mind, Wyatt?”

“Dad, could you…could you teach me how to be tough like you?”

A sudden chill fell down his spine and he went rigid as a blurry memory washed over him:

_“Sans, could you teach me how to be tough like you?” a bubbly young voice asked him._

_Sans chuckled softly with a mix of amusement and embarrassment. “Uh, I’m still kind of learning myself, Paps.”_

_“Puh-leeeaseee?”_

_He scratched the back of his skull, looking down at the orange blurry figure in front of him. His sharp teeth pulled into a grin. “Heh. Okay.”_

Wyatt was tugging on the edge of San’s shirt to draw his attention back to him. “Dad?”

“Hmm?” Sans blinked away the memory, looking down at the child. He remembered the question. “Oh! Well…I guess I could give you a few pointers. Is that whelp at school still picking on you?”

Wyatt grinned despite the growl in the skeleton’s tone. “Nope! He leaves me alone now. He’s scared of you!”

_Good. He should be._

“Can you show me?” he asked again, hopeful.

Sans grinned a bit, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Okay. Let me get this cup to your mother and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

Wyatt’s excited smile threatened to split his face as he nodded, eagerly bounding out of the kitchen. Sans’ smile stayed until the boy fully left the room.

_Who was Paps?_

He turned back to the boiling pot of water, switching off the stove. His mouth fell into a frown as he searched the memory. The more he tried to focus it, the fuzzier it got. The voice belonged to a child, but it didn’t sound anything like Isabel or Wyatt. It was hard to determine the settings of that conversation, too.

He sighed in frustration as he poured the water over the bag of tea. He let it steep for a moment, setting the pot back onto the stove.

He should just let it go. It wasn’t important right now.

What was important was checking on his mate down the hall to make sure she was resting. He took the mug in hand and started towards her room.

She was home less than an hour after leaving. When he went out to see what was taking her so long to come in, he was shocked to find her crying. He didn’t try to get her to speak to him. Instead he settled for embracing her and letting her wear herself out. He shushed her gently as she cried, her words unintelligible. He tried to guide her to breathe after she had gotten choked up a few times. It took her a while to calm down, long after he was starting to get stiff from holding her in that awkward position.

With some coaxing, he got her into the house and into bed. She didn’t protest against his instructions to rest, which he was grateful for.

Now, he knocked gently on the door to her room. There was no answer, so he pushed the door in slightly.

She was fast asleep, curled up on her side where he had left her. He stepped into the room quietly, setting the mug on the table next to the bed. His eye lights softened as he saw how peaceful she looked now. Even with her eyes puffy and her face flushed from her tears, he found her alluring.

He felt his Soul stutter behind his rib cage at the thought. She was his wife, right? It wasn’t wrong for him to admit to being attracted to her.

He couldn’t help the small smile that graced his mouth as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face. She sighed contently against his touch and his smile grew. He made sure she was comfortable before he left her alone, shutting the door behind him.

Wyatt was waiting patiently in the living room, almost buzzing with excitement. Sans chuckled at his enthusiasm, sitting down next to him. The bed sheets he slept on were folded neatly and placed on the coffee table to allow them to sit on the futon comfortably. He took in a breath as Wyatt looked up at him expectantly.

“So…is there anything in particular you want me to show you?”

“I wanna be like you!” he insisted. “Ryan and his Mom were so scared of you, and now he doesn’t pick on me anymore. You have to show me what you did to make them like that!”

Sans scratched the back of his skull. Truth be told, he didn’t even know how he did it. He was angry, and in the moment, there was a great force that built up inside him. It empowered him, made him fearless for a second.

Thinking back to it, it unnerved him a bit.

One false move, one slip of control, and he didn’t doubt he could’ve killed everyone in that room.

That wasn’t something he wanted to reveal to his son.

“I didn’t do much,” he said slowly as he searched for the right words. “It’s all about being assertive.”

“Being assertive.” He repeated with a nod. “How do I do that?”

He paused for a moment. “Well, what did your sister do to keep Ryan from picking on you?”

“She told him to stop.” He said. “And she and her friends yelled at him when he tried to hit me.”

“That’s actually really good.” He said, impressed.

Wyatt frowned a little. “Yeah but…I’m not as loud as she is. And I don’t really…have friends. No one talks to me.”

“Have you tried talking to them?”

He shifted a bit. “No…” He perked. “But if I’m tough like you, then I don’t have to worry! I can fight back and the bullies won’t mess with me anymore.”

Sans rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Wyatt, being tough is more than being able to fight back. Isabel didn’t have to fight Wyatt to get him to back off, did she?”

“No, but she’s a girl. Ryan doesn’t hit girls. But he’ll hit me because he doesn’t like me.”

He sighed a little. “Violence isn’t going to solve violence.”

_Sans was kneeling in front of a child. They had a hand on his shoulder as they peered kindly at him. “Violence won’t solve violence, Sans. I promise you, there’s another way. You don’t have to Fight.”_

Wyatt looked concerned as the skeleton trailed off in his sentence, eye lights going blank again. He tapped him on the shoulder to bring him back to reality. Sans flinched.

“Dad, are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes…I’m fine.” He said quietly. “Maybe we should continue this later. It’ll give me some time to properly get my thoughts together. Is that okay?”

The child nodded, still pleased that he was still willing to teach him. He got up from the couch and wandered down the hall, disappearing into his room and leaving Sans to himself.

These sudden bursts of memories were frustrating. They didn’t seem connected in the least, and without context it was hard to piece his thoughts together. Sans held his face in his palms for a moment, collecting himself. It wasn’t worth getting worked up over.

Sooner or later, it was all going to make sense.

* 

A soft knock echoed from the door. 

You sat up in bed, pulling the covers over you some. “Come in.”

Sans pushed the door open. The hallway behind him was dark, save for the dim light in the living room. It was late, and the kids were already in bed. 

“Aren’t you working tonight?” You ask him quietly. 

“Not tonight. I thought it best to stay in and make sure you were okay.” He said, stepping in. He left the door cracked enough to let light pool into your dark room. He stood at the end of your bed, carefully eyeing you for any signs of distress. 

“I’m fine.” You dismissed his concern. You weren’t completely recovered from earlier, but you weren’t in as bad of a state. Your stomach had continued to twist itself into knots as you tried to figure out your predicament. When you couldn’t come up with a reasonable plan that caused the least bit of damage, the stress only grew. You were exhausted, despite not leaving your bed all afternoon. Sans had made you a simple meal, but it sat untouched at your bedside. 

He noticed that as well and his brow furrowed. “Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Because nothing’s wrong.” You lied. The waver in your voice alerted him to that fact as well. His eye lights shrunk a bit in his annoyance. 

“Obviously something is bothering you. Need I remind you of the state you were in this morning?”

You were silent. 

Sans huffed and sat himself on the edge of your bed. You were all too aware of how close he was now. He frowned deeply, taking your hand in his firmly. You didn’t pull away.

“I’m worried about you.” He admitted softly. “And its frustrating that you won’t talk to me.” 

His tone was almost pleading as he searched your expression. “Seeing you so afflicted like that...it tore at my Soul. I need you to understand that I’m here for you now. I can’t force you to open up to me, especially not after all I’ve put you through. But I beg you to believe me when I tell you that I...I truly care for you.”

This was painful. Tears filled your tired eyes once again at his words. 

_How much longer were you going to let this go on?_

Sans noticed your tears and he hugged you to him again. Instead of resisting, you clung to him, letting the tears fall freely. Unlike earlier, you cried silently this time, though your mind still screamed at you for making it worse. 

“I’m here.” He repeatedly assured you quietly. He held you firmly, resting his chin against your temple as you curled against him. 

You stayed like that long after the tears ceased and you stilled against him, your grip on him relaxing. 

When your breathing evened out, Sans shifted beside you, his hold on you loosening. You tightened your grip on him again, stopping him from withdrawing. 

“Please stay.” You croaked pitifully. 

Sans stilled at your request for a moment, before he started to move again. This time, he adjusted the both of you so you were both laying down. Your head rested on his chest and his bony fingers curled into your hair, scratching your scalp soothingly. 

He pressed a kiss to your forehead again. “Sleep, love.”

You did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sans is starting to regain some old memories...  
> Guess it's only a matter of time now, huh?
> 
> You all are so sweet. Every single one of your comments makes me smile and I'm even more determined to finish this. 
> 
> We are officially halfway through the story, though slightly behind my original plans for the content of these chapters. Rest assured though, it's only because I added a little bit more to the story than in my original plan. The next chapter should catch us up. 
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated, and I look forward to seeing how you all react to the upcoming events :)


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can’t keep this up forever. 
> 
> But you want to.

You couldn’t say you were surprised to see Papyrus lurking around the restaurant. That didn’t stop your stomach from tying itself into a knot when you spotted him. Why was he here? Was there any way to avoid him? Did he manage to see through your lie and was waiting to snatch you up and torture info out of you about his brother?

You didn’t know anything about Sans’ brother, but you couldn’t really cancel out any possibilities, knowing the monsters’ general background. 

What were you going to do?

First, you needed to calm yourself. You took in a few deep breaths to steady yourself. The bitter oil smell that stained the seats grounded you. Your heart managed to slow its speed slightly enough for you to try to think through this logically. 

You were in public. Even though the restaurant was closed, there were still people passing by on the sidewalk, and your coworkers were sure to see if something happened to you.

You just hoped it wouldn’t come to that though as you stepped out of the car. The tall skeleton caught a glimpse of you the second your car door shut and started towards you. Your heart leap into your throat and you tried to avoid his eyes as you also walked forward. Despite your earlier attempts, your chest was beginning to tighten, and you had to force your panic down. 

It seemed Papyrus was determined to have a word with you. He stood firmly in your way, hands buried deep into the thick furry jacket that hung off his form. You stared at his chest, your heart hammering away in your chest as you started to shake a bit. 

You looked up. 

The desperation in his eyes had increased, and the circles under his sockets had darkened. You vaguely wondered if this guy was getting any rest, but immediately chastised yourself at the thought. Of course he hadn’t. His brother was missing, and here was this suspicious little human trying to avoid him for reasons he surely wasn’t aware of. 

“Listen, I swear I’m not gonna do anything to ya,” he started, noticing your tenseness. It did little to make you feel better. “I just...look I just really need to find my bro. People keep telling me he’s dead...but you know something, don’tcha?”

“I already told you I didn’t.” You said, trying to keep your voice firm. “Please excuse me. I’m going to be late for work. Again.”

You tried to sidestep him, but he followed you. “If you’re not going to tell me anything, at least let me know he’s still alive.”

_Yes. He’s alive. Very much alive. He’s at home, taking care of my kids like a devoted father. He’s probably making them breakfast right now, blissfully unaware that he had been accidentally kidnapped and forced into the role. But he doesn’t know that. To him, he truly believes he’s my husband and the father to my kids._

_Could it be that I’ve started to indulge in this lie too?_

“I don’t know anything.” You insisted, looking away. “I’m asking you to leave me alone before I call the police.”

He let you past him this time. 

*

Papyrus had waited at that restaurant almost all night. He managed to out-wait Alphys, who he was aware had been watching him in the shadows. He could feel the violent hum of her Soul in the darkness. But the Queen couldn’t be left unprotected for very long, so she had to leave him be for now. 

The longer he sat there, the more determined he felt. Alphys was hiding something, he was quite sure of it now. The extent she was going to keep an eye on him was relentless. And with the way she interrupted the human yesterday, it was a theory that was hard to dispute. 

At the same time, his Soul began to grow weary. He hated the violent world he and his brother had grown up in, and the damage it had dealt to the both of them, both physically and emotionally. He didn’t want to cultivate that mindless violent attitude  anymore, though for Sans’ sake, he was almost ready to consider it.

Just because Sans had managed to hide his weak HP from the Queen didn’t mean Papyrus was ignorant of it. He felt like he was running out of time to potentially save his brother. 

Papyrus let her go after she refused to tell him the truth. He calmed himself with the reminder that he knew what vehicle she drove now. He could wait a little longer until she got off to confront her again. 

And if she refused, there was nothing stopping him from following her home. 

*

It was a few hours to close, and you and your coworkers were keeping an eye out. Chelsea reported a few minutes ago that the skeleton had yet to leave. He stood on the corner, watching the restaurant with a cigarette between his teeth. It was almost as if he was a statue, if not for the billowing smoke that escaped from his jaw. The implications of a smoking skeleton didn’t cross your mind until much later. 

Dread, however, bubbled up within you the closer it came to close the restaurant. You were sure Papyrus intended to confront you again, and you didn’t want to indulge the negative thoughts that followed that notion.

Chelsea tried to keep you calm as much as she could, trying to offer different solutions. You weren’t left with many. 

You ~~didn’t want to~~ couldn’t call Sans. 

You definitely couldn’t walk all the way home. 

But maybe you could get a ride with someone else? Sure that would leave your car in the parking lot overnight, but it could help deter the monster from following you?

Chelsea was more than happy to offer you a ride. If he managed to follow her car, she’d take herself to the authorities immediately. It wasn’t much, but it was better than Papyrus following you home. When Greg was made aware of the circumstances, he insisted you take off a few days to discourage the monster. You accepted wholeheartedly.

Chelsea lent you her jacket to keep your features hidden in the dark as you ducked into her car. Papyrus was still focused on the restaurant when you drove off, watching each of your leaving coworkers closely, looking for you. You hoped his exhaustion kept him from picking up on your absence until you and Chelsea were home.

When she dropped you off, you showed your appreciation by hugging the other young woman tightly. She wished you well as you left her car and walked up into the house. 

You weren’t expecting Sans to be waiting for you. 

He jumped up from the futon, and explained before you could ask any questions. “I did an earlier shift so I could be home tonight.” His grin was light as he stepped up to you. You thought back to the cold scowl from the picture Papyrus showed to you. During your first meeting with the skeleton, you never could’ve imagined seeing him with such a warm glow in his expression. 

“Why?” You managed. 

“I wanted to spend time with you.” He answered. “I also have a surprise for you.”

He didn’t answer any other questions you had about said surprise. Instead he insisted you change out of your work uniform. Then, he led you outside, making sure your eyes were closed. 

“No peeking!” He chastised with a small chuckle. You couldn’t help your growing curiosity, nor could you ignore the tension in you as you half expected yourself to trip over something as he guided you. 

“Open your eyes.”

You did.

When you first moved into the little home, the backyard had so much potential. The grass grew in coarse patches across the yard. Small weeds lined the back of the house. The few trees that grouped together along the fence were lean and sparks. With some TLC, you reasoned, it could be turned into a grand area for Isabel and Wyatt. You never had a backyard space to play in, and you hoped that you’d be able to give that to your kids. You even purchased a nice little outdoor set in anticipation of the day you’d get to sit out under stars with them and enjoy your togetherness as a family. Unfortunately though, circumstances got worse after you moved in, and the pileup of bills took you away from your project.It had been a while since you even bothered to look at the backyard, knowing the grass had become littered with weeds, and the soil was dried up. You knew the weeds had only grown and spread, climbing the fence and the panels of the house the longer you let them roam free.

So when you opened your eyes to see that the jungle of a backyard had been miraculously transformed, you almost fainted. 

The patches of grass had been weeded and trimmed. The weeds along the house had been pulled and the house itself had been sprayed down. Sans even dug up theoutdoor set and set it up in the middle of the yard. 

“How...?” You trailed off. 

“It’s not much yet, but it’s quite the improvement, isn’t it? The kids helped pull the weeds and Nana let us borrow some of her tools. Hopefully we can get it in better shape by next spring.” he said as he pulled out one of the chairs to let you sit.

Guilt bloomed in your chest again as you sat. He sounded so hopeful, so excited at the thought of working with you and the kids to spruce up the backyard. Deep down, you knew that it was unlikely that he’d want to be anywhere near you. 

You couldn’t keep this up. 

“Sans...I need to tell you something.” You said without thinking. 

The serious tone in your voice caught his attention, and he immediately sat down next to you. He looked concerned. “What is it?”

Could you do it? Could you actually tell him now?

“I...I did something that was...kinda bad. A-and it made things difficult. I really don’t know how to tell you this...”You avoided his intense gaze for a moment, trying to force the words. 

“Yes?” He urges you to go on. 

You paused, the words stuck on your tongue. Sans saw your confliction and took your hands in both of his. You looked up at him then. 

That was your mistake. 

“You can tell me anything.” He assured you. “No matter how bad it might be.”

The words died in your throat. 

Oh stars, he really did care for you. He accepted this illusion you put up for him wholeheartedly. In this moment, you were his wife, the mother of his children that he came to love dearly. He had done so much for you in so little time, all the while beating himself up internally for believing that he put you through hell before he lost his memory. He looked so desperate now, wanting to know what exactly you had to tell him so he could try to figure it out with you. 

You couldn’t do it. 

“I...left the car at work.”

He stared at you. Then he laughed softly with relief. 

“Is that all? Love, I thought something really bad happened. Why’d you leave your car at work? How’d you get home?”

“Chelsea gave me a ride.” You said. “And I...well, there was someone who I thought was going to follow my car home, so I...asked her to take me home.”

His relief got tense for a moment, so you added, “But! I think I was just being paranoid. I can just pick it up tomorrow or something. I don’t have to go into work for a few days, so it’s not urgent. I’m just a little embarrassed that it got to me so easily.”

“Don’t be.” He assured you. “Always trust yourself if you feel that way. Often times that’s what keeps you safe.”

He had a point. If only you had listened to yourself before getting yourself into this mess.

Sans pat your hand comfortingly. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

You felt your face flush a bit at the tenderness in his voice, opting to glance away and focus up towards the night sky.

Its amazing, the little things you found yourself overlooking. Looking up at the stars always made you feel quite small. You lived in a place with less light pollution, allowing for the stars to be seen a little bit more clearly. It was beautiful, calming even.

You snuck a glance towards Sans. He was relaxed into his own chair, looking up at the stars as well. You felt your face warm a bit. He looked so...peaceful. It made your heart jump a little at the sight of him. 

You wondered what he was thinking about?

*

Memories came to Sans in bits and pieces now, triggered by phrases or scenes he came across. None of them were quite clear, and mostly they were all horribly out of focus. He mostly heard voices coming from blurred sources, people he wouldn’t quite remember. It was equally as frustrating as seeing someone you recognized, and yet couldn’t picture where you’ve seen them before. 

This time, however, the memory was unusually clear. 

_The stars were gorgeous that night. The magnitude of such a view was only increased as he compared it to the dull twinkle of the gems in the Underground. He faintly recalled staring up at the tacky substitutions, hoping for the real thing. And now, here he was, inhaling his first breath of fresh air, the open world just beyond the horizon. It was daunting, yet stirred something inside him._

_Hope._

_It cracked through the tough persona he fought to maintain, but in that moment he couldn’t care._

_None of them did._

_His gaze swept across the group of monsters that had just exited the mountain. The violent, angry monsters were silent and awestruck as they all stared at the sky._

_This was their moment, the turning point in their stories._

_This changed everything_. 

The memory faded from Sans, and he looked over to his mate, who was oblivious to his gaze. 

She was relaxed as she too laid back in her chair. Her eyes were closed now. The light from the moon and stars reflected across her skin, giving her an ethereal  glow. His Soul thumped in his chest as he took the view in. 

This. This was his future. This was _his_ wife, sitting here in the dark with him. Their children slept soundly in their little home. It wasn’t perfect. They were still healing. They were still struggling. But he wouldn’t have wanted anything else in this moment. He was here, with _her_. 

And he loved her.

Just as he concluded this in his thoughts, his mate yelped softly, pulling her hand from his. Her eyes snapped open and she straightened in her chair as she looked at him with wide eyes.

A shock had transferred to her from his hand, and he knew that she was just as shaken from it as he was. 

To her, it may have seemed like an intense static shock. Which was illogical, seeing as neither of them had a way to dispel such a shock to each other when they were already touching.

Sans knew better. The shock had pierced the core of his very Soul. 

“Soulmates...” he murmured in awe.

“Soulmates? W-what?” She was confused, and even a little flighty. 

So he did his best to reassure her. He took her hand and coaxed her to relax, all the while trying to keep his excitement and happiness to a minimum.

_She was his Soulmate! He has a Soulmate!_

He did his best to answer her questions. 

He explained that she was his Soulmate. Not necessarily in the sense that they were destined for each other, but that their Souls found compatibility within each other. His Soul had recognized the harmonious pulse of her Soul, and sparked the connection between the two of them. 

He heard the faint whispers that pointed out that they hadn’t sparked before, which meant they were not yet bonded. He chose to ignore it. 

Her Soul had accepted their connection. That was enough for him for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a sucker for cliches like Soulmates.
> 
> If anyone’s interested, I have a particular set of songs that I’ve used to help me write this story. I wouldn’t mind writing down the list. I did want to add that the end scene here was definitely inspired by “I See The Light” from Tangled. I wanted a real moment of clarity between the two characters that yes, they do love each other. It didn’t happen as the same time, but Reader and Sans had their moment, and I’m excited. 
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos. Your support means a lot to me and I can’t say that enough. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all knew this was coming.

_Soulmate_. 

Who knew such a word could make you so happy and yet so miserable at the same time? 

When you went to retire for the night, you asked Sans if he wanted to join you, instead of sleeping on the stiff futon. You felt bad for how grateful he sounded when he accepted. You knew that sofa was hard on the spine, and you couldn’t imagine how sore he must’ve been spending so much time sleeping on it. You fell asleep that night listening to the pleasant hum of the bright Soul in his chest. 

You woke the next morning to see that Sans was still in bed with you, sleeping soundly. Your alarm hadn’t gone off since you didn’t set it, but your body was used to being awake so early.

Waking up with him this morning was an entirely different experience than before. It was overwhelmingly awkward before, peeling yourself from his arms. You recalled the emotional distress you had been in, and how he comforted you so lovingly. Then, it made you uncomfortable, worried about how he felt for you. 

Now, you were less worried. Somehow, knowing that your Souls sought compatibility within each other made you feel a little better. You had heard that monsters were more in tune with their Souls. If he saw a Soulmate within you, that had to mean something serious. 

He loved you. 

And you...

Yes. You loved him. 

Sans was more energetic than usual when he put breakfast on the table. Even the twins, dressed and ready for school, picked up on his good mood and relished in it. And to know that you’d be home when they got off school was exciting. Sans insisted on taking advantage of your newly opened schedule, and suggested an outing this afternoon as a family. He didn’t know where yet, but the thought alone was enough to hype the kids up as Nana took them to school. 

Your eagerness has diminished though, asSans proposed heading out to pick up the car to allow the four of you to go out that afternoon. 

You claimed it was too far to walk; Sans countered that it was a beautiful morning, and a little walking wouldn’t hurt either of you. Besides, if you got tired, he’d be more than happy to carry you. 

You stopped looking for excuses. Sans was too caught up in his good mood to notice your slump as he lead you out the door by hand. Not even the tight door stumbled his mood. 

All you could do now was hope that Papyrus has given up trying to look for you. 

With your insistence, the two of you stopped at a cafe a few blocks down from the restaurant you worked at. You managed to convince Sans to stay there and wait for your orders while you went to retrieve the car. He reluctantly agreed, and you hoped when you left he didn’t suspect anything.

*

Papyrus felt like he was going to drop soon. The human had managed to sneak past him last night, which irked him even more. 

She was hiding something, and he was more determined than ever to find out what. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t catch another glimpse of her the next few days. But it was only a matter of time before she came back to retrieve her car. 

That day seemed like today. 

He spotted her walking along towards the restaurant alone. She seemed distracted now, looking over her shoulder every few paces instead of scanning the lot for him. 

That gave him his opportunity. He was going to get his answers today. 

He felt his magic stir up within him. He teleported directly in front of her, startling a shriek out of her and dispersing the crowd. His hand enveloped with a blue aura, and she cried out softly when she realized she couldn’t move. 

“Listen here, human,” he said darkly. “I’m tired of giving you a chance. You’re going to tell me what you know about my brother, or I’m going to-“

Papyrus was cut off as something threw him backwards. His hold on the humans soul broke, and he yelped as he landed on his tailbone. 

“ _ **Don’t. Touch. Her.**_ ” 

The lanky skeleton felt his Soul twitch with recognition. He looked up. 

Sans stood between the two of them, teeth bared and magic swirling in his sockets. The human cowered behind him. 

“Sans?!” She and Papyrus gasped. 

The smaller skeleton faltered, his magic waning. He blinked his sockets slowly as he stared down at the fallen monster with bewildered confusion. 

“W-What’re you lookin’ at me like that for?” Papyrus

Sans’ expression dropped for a second, before brightening suddenly With recognition. Papyrus was once again caught off guard as the other monster launched himself into him. Papyrus was happy to embrace his brother though. All the exhaustion and worry and stress melted from him, expelled through the tears that spring to his sockets. He squeezed his arms around his brother even tighter, as if he was worried the skeleton was going to disintegrate right there in his arms.

“Papyrus! Stars, I haven’t seen you in forever!” Sans grinned up at him. That was an expression Papyrus hadn’t seen on his brother in  years . 

He was so caught up in his elation as he pulled his younger brother to his feet. “There’s so much I have to tell you!

“But first, you have to meet my wife.” He said proudly, gesturing over to the human Papyrus had attacked earlier. 

She looked uncomfortable as he wrapped and arm around her and pulled her close, continuing to relate to his brother how he lost his memory. 

“But then she came to get me. Papyrus, you should have seen me! I was a mess. I’m glad she has the patience she does, though, or else I don’t think I would’ve believed her to be...my...”

It caught up with him. He could see the realization dawning on him, and tears filled the woman’s eyes as she realized it too. 

“Sans...” she started, already choked up. 

Sans pulled away from her like she physically burned him. His expression changed as he processed his emotions. Confusion. Disbelief. Hurt. Betrayal. 

Anger. 

“You...” he said, backing away from her. His voice was unusually soft. “You tricked me.”

“No! Y-you don’t understand! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!”

His eyes narrowed and his gaze grew cold. “You kidnapped me. Took advantage of my weakened state.  _Lied_ to me. Repeatedly. From the first moment I knew something was off. You made me believe that it was all my fault. 

“You’re sick.” He spat. His hands clutched his skull as he growled to himself, fists clenching tightly. He turned away from her, pacing briskly as he fought to maintain his emotions. 

The human was succeeding just about as much as he was. She hiccuped. “Y-you don’t understand.” She said again. “I’m sorry. I know it was wrong of me. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I-I thought-“

“You thought you could continue to lie to me?” He whirled to face her again. Even Papyrus flinched at the break in his voice. 

“N-no.” She deflated even more. 

“You thought it was okay to kidnap me? To manipulate me into believing I was your mate?” He stalked towards her.

“No!”

“Then what?! What did you think? Go on then! Speak up!” He demanded, towering over her as he stared her down. 

She clutched her chest, tears freely streaming down her face as she flinched away from him and his anger. “I....I don’t know.”

Sans stared at her critically. 

“Please...” she begged softly, falling to her knees. He stepped back from her. “I just...I just wanted us to be happy. I lo-“

“Don’t finish that sentence.” The growl in his tone faltered as he interrupted her sentiment. The words died on her tongue as she stared up at him. Her heartbroken expression was etched across her face. Papyrus watched in stunned silence as the tough facade he had seen on his brother cracked for a moment. The three stood in silence. 

“That was a pathetic attempt to disarm me.” Sans huffed bitterly. “I hope your little game of pretend was fun while it lasted,  human .”

Papyrus didn’t miss the pained expression in his brother’s face when the woman began to sob softly into her hands. Sans briskly turned away from her, wincing for a moment and clutching his chest. He waved away Papyrus’ attempt to comfort him, masking his hurt with an indifferent scowl. 

“Take me back to Toriel.” He commanded Papyrus lowly. “I must resume my duties as soon as possible.”

“...Yes, m’lord.”

*

Alphys felt her Soul plummet when Papyrus walked back in with Sans. Toriel let out a shriek of surprise, jostling the young child in her lap. 

Sans was indifferent to the Queen’s reaction. His eye lights were instantly trained on the lizard, narrowed with anger and hatred. 

Papyrus had told him everything of his suspicions.

Alphys was confronted then and there, questioned intensely as to why she left Sans in his vulnerable condition. With no other choice, she came clean about her intention to let Sans perish in favor of being promoted to his position. The tough lizard monster broke down as the weight of the situation fell onto her shoulders. 

Toriel offered her deepest apologies to the brothers; to Papyrus for not believing him, and to Sans for not properly searching for him. She properly expressed her disgust in Alphys’ actions toward her own kind. 

She personally decided that Alphys be executed for her betrayal and attempted murder. 

Sans was the last person they expected to decline that notion, proposing an alternate punishment. Her actions could not be justified, not even by the monsters violent moral upbringing. But, he reasoned, stooping to her level would only obstruct their progress as a species toward bettering themselves. Chara was proud as Toriel agreed with his proposal. 

It was then decided that Alphys would be imprisoned for her actions, and expelled from the Royal Guard and surrender any ranking positions she may have held. 

She was moved to tears by Sans’ merciful interjection, grateful for her life. But he only glared coldly at her as she tried to thank him, shutting her up before she could manage the words. 

With the situation handled, he excused himself to recover in his own quarters, leaving the three of them alone. 

The Queen expressed her apologies to Papyrus once more before he left to follow his brother. 

He found Sans collapsed in the middle of the hallway. 

*

He remembered. 

Once upon a time, Sans swore he’d never let anything or anyone get to him. With exception to his little brother, he promised himself he’d never get too close to anyone. This was a dangerous world, and he’d do anything to keep him and Papyrus safe.

She changed everything.

The betrayal that shot through his Soul was almost as crippling as the sudden rush of memories. Somehow, he managed to keep himself in one piece. 

She never loved him. She was just using him. Everyone was in on it- the old lady, her friend, those  kids...

_It hurts._

“I’m sorry,” she had said. “I lo-“ 

He cut her off. Why was she desperately trying to stick to this twisted fantasy?

Was she going to say ‘love’? Was this how humans showed their “love”?

He was repulsed. To think, he actually believed he loved her. He could’ve sworn he was still under the influence of his amnesia- his Soul twinged with sadness at remembering her crumpled form, literally begging for him to believe her. 

How could he? She lied to him. Everything that came out of her mouth had been a lie. And a part of him suspected it from the start. She turned out to be a pretty good actress. 

“Soulmates,” he had whispered to her. His mind laughed bitterly. His Soul thought hers to be compatible to his. Perhaps in that moment she was. 

But if it was all fake, why did her Soul accept the connection to his so eagerly?

It seemed she started to believe her own lie. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To me, it feels a little rushed, but I couldn’t think of anything to fill the gaps I kept having. Sorry for the shorter chapter, and the angst. But we all knew this was coming...
> 
> I hope to finish this during the next couple days. Again, thank you all for sticking with me. I enjoy all your comments and I hope you enjoyed this!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither of you are in good condition.

Undyne tapped her pen against her glasses, trying to make sense of the data before her. 

“Got anything?” Papyrus asked as he approached her. 

Undyne’s eye twitched and she glared up at him. “Papyrus, this is the twelfth time you’ve asked in the last five minutes. If you ask me that again, I will not hold myself accountable for whatever I do to you afterwards.”

Papyrus deflated and the fish monster sighed at him. “I know this is hard for you, but I’m working as hard as I can. Relax.” She put a hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him. 

The skeleton said nothing, glancing back over his shoulder towards his brother, who was laid back on her examination table. 

It had been several days since Sans collapsed. As soon as their vessel touched the dock of Ebott, Papyrus was quick to get his brother to the only person he could think of- the Royal Scientist. While his best friend was still shocked over the news of Alphys’ actions, she was also very concerned for his brother. 

While Papyrus paced relentlessly, Undyne searched the extent of her knowledge, performing as many tests as she possibly could. Everything came back negative. She was at a loss as to what was causing Sans’ physical distress. There were no signs of injury whatsoever; she even checked for traces of poisons, potential illnesses, and everything else in between. The results told her he was just fine. 

Thing was, Papyrus couldn’t rouse him from his coma-like state. No outside stimulus caused a reaction from him. Each test felt like a step back, and if Papyrus had hair, he would’ve torn it out in frustration. 

Then, Undyne suggested she examine Sans’ Soul directly. 

Papyrus wanted to protest against it the moment she proposed it. He knew Sans would never have approved of something like that. Souls were a monster’s core being, an incredibly sacred object to behold, and was only ever brought out in confrontations and during intimacy. Even though Undyne already had her mate, and would be looking at his Soul in a professional clinical role, the idea of her seeing the most intimate part of his older brother made him uneasy. 

But they were running out of ideas. 

With Papyrus hovering over her shoulder, Undyne stood over the skeleton, taking a deep breath before extending her gloves hand over his chest. Her cerulean magic came to life, swirling around her hand as she gently clenched her fist and mimicked a pulling motion away from Sans’ chest. The skeletons’ face twitched uncomfortably, but he was otherwise undisturbed.

The small white Soul that hovered over her palm fluttered weakly. She kept it close to his person, motioning for Papyrus to hand over her tools. He silently handed them over as she asked for them, his gaze locked onto his brother’s Soul. 

There were deep cracks along the surface of the little heart-shaped light. He couldn’t help but compare it to his own Soul- clearly, they were both affected by the rough environment they grew up in, yet Sans’ was in much worse condition, bearing the brunt of the stresses and responsibilities. It upset him, knowing Sans had literally sacrificed himself to make sure the two of them would be okay.

“You said that you found Sans with a human?” Undyne asked as she examined the Soul. 

He was so focused in his thoughts that he almost missed her question. “Huh? Oh! Yeah. Introduced her to me as his wife, or something like that. Why?”

Undyne motioned him closer, her face scrunched with concern. Papyrus leaned in closer, frowning as she gestured towards a particular area of Sans’ Soul. 

It was so small, it was almost too easy to overlook- it looked like a frayed spider’s thread attached to the side of his Soul.

“Somehow, he managed to start a Soul Bond with her. But he severed it. It’s a very unclean cut, which explains why he’s like this.” She explained. Papyrus was stunned as Undyne solemnly let the Soul drift back into Sans’ chest. 

“How do we fix him?” He asked nervously. 

Undyne looked unsure as she straightened. “I might have something here to stabilize his Soul. It’s only a temporary solution, though. Papyrus,” She paused, fixing him with a serious stare. “I can’t do much else. Neither can you. A severed Soul connection normally wouldn’t be lethal to a monster, but your brother has a low HP to start with. He might be stubborn enough to pull through but...” 

Papyrus looked to his brother desperately. He couldn’t lose him again, not after just getting back. That human may have unintentionally saved Sans from Alphys, but she was still the cause for his brother’s strife now. He didn’t know all that had happened while he was with her. Once Sans had regained his memories, he shut any of them containing her away. 

_He almost bonded with her?_

His negative feelings about the human aside, he couldn’t shake the image of his brother’s wide grin as he introduced the woman as his wife. A smile crossing Sans’ otherwise strict features was a rarity. It was almost like Sans was an entirely different person. Any signs of exhaustion or stress had been wiped from him. It was bewildering to consider that, even for a little while, she had made him very happy. 

Enough so that he was eager to bond with her. And she with him. 

“Is there any way to connect them again?” He asked hesitantly. 

“It’d be up to the two of them if they want to introduce another connection. In theory, a new Soul Connection between the two of them should reduce the damages caused by the severance.” Undyne pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her face. “But, do you really think your brother will do that? From what you said, he doesn’t sound too eager to be around her.”

“Sans is too stubborn for his own good.” Papyrus groaned. “I need to go find her. I can’t lose him again.”

Undyne watched him turn on his heel and leave the lab with a renewed look of Determination. Her serious expression cracked for a moment, her sharp teeth pinching her bottom lip. Then, she let out a little giggle, her excitement showing on her face. She fixed her glasses again with a wide smile. 

“Stars, this is _so_ much better than anime.”

*

_You felt awful._

It was hard to explain, the deep ache in your chest. It was like something within you broke, leaving an empty gaping hole within you. It stayed after you pulled yourself to your feet from the ground. It persisted when you found your car, and it stayed long after you collapsed on the futon couch in the living room. 

You couldn’t stand how quiet it was. It only made the weight on your person heavier. You curled into yourself, letting yourself cry. 

You sobbed until there was nothing left within you. You stayed in that position for a long time. You only shifted when you heard the doorknob jiggle.

Wyatt and Isabel knew what had happened the moment they saw your disheveled appearance. Their bright smiles crumbled and you gathered them in your arms. You thought you were spent from crying, but their anguish only served to fuel yours. You could hardly explain to Nana what all had transpired earlier through your tears, but it seemed she understood completely. 

You couldn’t dwell in your heartbroken state for long. As much as Nana protested, your bills wouldn’t wait for you to recover. You insisted on going to work the next day, and promised you’d be taking up your stocking shifts the next night. 

You didn’t make it halfway through the day. You collapsed in the middle of serving an older couple, and Chelsea offered to drive you home. You insisted that you only needed rest. 

Then you started to run a slight fever. Followed by that was a brief period of vomiting. At both your friend and your Nana’s insistence, you made a visit to the emergency room. They diagnosed you with a stubborn stomach bug and sent you on your way with a few prescriptions to settle your stomach. 

It did little to help. The emptiness in your chest coupled with the heaviness in your bones continued to sap what little energy your strange sickness had left you with. 

Nana tried to keep you bedridden, and cursed your stubbornness when you resisted her. You refused to spend anymore time in that bed than necessary. It only worsened your condition. You couldn’t help but notice how much bigger the bed seemed when you had it to yourself. You were sure your pillow was soaked through with tears at this point. You even took to sleeping on the futon, as much as your body protested. 

Wyatt and Isabel weren’t unaffected either. Wyatt withdrew from you and his sister. Isabel was much more quiet now, though she clung to you every opportunity she had. You did your best to be there for both of them, even with your deteriorating health. 

Nana wouldn’t let you refuse her financial help. You were unable to work in your condition, she asserted. She’d help you as much as she could until you improved. 

A week passed and you grew weaker. It was getting harder and harder to do even the simplest of tasks. At this point, you couldn’t even walk by yourself.

You continued to visit the doctor. No one couldn’t pin your illness. None of your symptoms added up. You were subjected to many tests, and with each negative result, you grew more pessimistic. 

Nana noticed your drastic change of attitude as she drove you home from the most recent doctors visit. When you got home, she sat you down. 

It didn’t take long for you to crumble again, and she held you as you babbled your regrets. 

You hated yourself. How could you let it get this far? 

You shouldn’t have let Chelsea talk you into this in the first place. 

You shouldn’t have let yourself indulge in the fantasy you had created. 

And you definitely shouldn’t have fallen in love with someone you knew could never actually love you back. 

_Soulmate_ , you thought bitterly.  That was the farthest from the truth now. 

“We all had a hand in this.” Nana assured you when you had calmed a bit. “We can’t take it back. But we can do our best to move forward. And right now, you need to be strong.”

Her words were firm as she lifted your chin to look at her. Her small eyes portrayed her love for you, and the genuine intent behind her words. “Isabel and Wyatt need you now more than ever. They already lost one parental figure. It would be a shame to make them lose their mother.”

You sniffed, leaning against her. “I just...feel so empty without him. I don’t know why, but...I really wanted to believe I could make him happy. He’s done so much for us.” You took a breath. “I love him, Nana.”

“I know you do.” She sighed softly. 

Whatever she was going to say next was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. You sat up, rubbing your eyes. “That’s probably Chelsea. She promised to come by during her lunch to check on me.”

Nana helped you to your feet, letting you lean on her to keep you steady as you both went to answer the door. 

Sure enough, your friend stood at the door, still in her work uniform. But she looked worried as she looked you over. 

You on the other hand, looked shocked as your eyes trailed up to the tall person behind her. 

“Papyrus?”

“Just listen to what he has to say.” Chelsea noticed your apprehension. You relented and let Nana sit you back on the sofa and let her and Papyrus in. 

“What’s going on?”

“Sans is in really bad condition.” He said. “That connection that you had, he...he severed it when he got his memories back. That’s why you’re in this condition, and that’s why he’s unstable right now as well.”

“Is there a way to fix it?” 

Papyrus looked nervous. “You gotta come back with me to Ebott. If you could reconnect with him, your Souls should go back to normal.”

You sunk back into the couch, despair taking over you again. “Sans doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Papyrus huffed. “My bro is as stubborn as they come.” He knelt in front of you. “Look, kid. What you did, that...that wasn’t cool. Like I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty bad.”

_Gee, thanks._

“But,” he added, “you made my brother happy. My brother is the last person I’d ever have expected to fall for someone. And yet, he’s gone so far as to willingly connect with you. You’re Soulmates. Our Souls are much more than just our memories. I know deep down, he still loves you.”

You didn’t know what to say to that. Sans might still love you?

“Please. As stubborn as he may be, he’s still weak. If we don’t do something, Sans will...my brother will...” He left the words unsaid. You could see how desperate he was. 

Everyone’s eyes were on you as they all waited for your answer. 

Would you really be willing to risk rejection again to save the both of you? Could you survive such a thing? 

You dreaded the thought of dying of literal heartbreak. 

But at the same time, you were still risking both of your lives by staying here. And...Papyrus would be the one who knew Sans better than any of you, right? And if he was so sure of Sans’ affections for you, then who were you to question him? 

Your heartbeat picked up at the thought of seeing Sans again. 

“Well?” Chelsea urged impatiently.

You let out a deep sigh. “I guess we’ve got some packing to do.”


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited.

For once in his life, Sans wanted to stay in bed. 

He kept his sockets closed as he rolled from his side onto his back. Even that simple move caused him to wince. 

Everything hurt.

He’d spent his whole life maintaining a his health and physique, so this ache in his bones and the ache in his skull was unfamiliar to him. He hated it. 

Still, he stubbornly tried to push through it.With a grunt, he sat up, sliding his legs off the bed. The cool morning air was a relief against his heated bones. 

He didn’t feel well. 

Regardless, he was determined. He stood to his feet, grabbing onto the bedpost to steady himself. He clenched his jaw tightly, his breath already heavy as he slowly shuffled around the bed. His uniform was hanging off the closet door, freshly pressed and waiting for him.

Dressing was a difficult task. Sans had to sit himself on the edge of the bed to pull his slacks on. His balance was off with both feet on the ground. He didn’t need another bout of amnesia due to his carelessness. 

By the time he was finished buttoning his shirt, he was already exhausted. And that frustrated him, along with the fact that his clothes were much stiffer than he’d remembered them to be.

When he had woken, Undyne was standing over him. She explained her use of diluted Determination to stabilize his Soul, and had told him the cause of the condition he was in. He was unbelievably furious at first, knowing that the woman who managed to deceive him was still affecting him. 

He didn’t realize his connection to her was already so deep. But looking back, it made sense. He really had begun to fall in love with her. She was a strong, dedicated, foolishly stubborn young woman, who had to grow up and face the world and its hardships long before she should have had to. 

Just like him. 

The anger was quick to fade into remorsefulness. He didn’t mean to severe their connection. But his anger and feelings of betrayal got the best of him in that moment, and he deeply regretted that. Not because he was in pain, but because he only managed to add to the strife she had been struggling with before. 

She had her reasons for taking him into her home. He couldn’t ignore that if she hadn’t done so, he may not have survived whatever Alphys had planned.

A small part of him argued that she may have kidnapped him in retaliation for the things he said to her the night they first met. But thinking back on it, he couldn’t blame her. His very Soul shuddered at the memory of her collapsed on the floor in the midst of a panic attack. It almost mirrored the heartbroken state he left her in on the ground, begging for him to listen to her. Guilt slowly ate at him.

Living with this agony seemed like enough retribution for his actions against her. 

Eventually she would move on and forget about him and how horrible he was to her. And he’d accepted that.

Sans heaved a sigh, finished with lacing up his boots. He was finally ready to attend to his duties for the day. He pulled himself to his feet again, carefully making his way over to where his newly fashioned cane leaned against the wall. He leaned against it, grateful for its sturdiness despite its hastened creation. 

He had to take a moment to catch his breath once again as he stood before Toriel’s study. Then, he knocked, waiting for her muffled confirmation before pushing the door open. 

The Queen had her head low, focused on the paperwork in front of her. When the door shut behind him, she looked up at him. 

“Good morning, Sans. How are you feeling?” She greeted him. 

“Good morning, Your Majesty.” He bowed respectfully. “I am well today.”

Her dark eyes trailed to his cane, her pleasant smile dipping for a moment. Sans straightened himself as best as he could, trying to make himself sturdier under her thoughtful gaze. Finally, her smile returned, and she met his eyes again. “That is good to hear. I assume you are well enough to attend to your duties?”

Sans nodded firmly. “I would also like to extend my sincerest apologies for my absence.”

Toriel’s eyes softened. “Do not worry about that. We were all grateful for your safe return. I know your brother was terribly worried about you.”

Sans frowned. He hadn’t seen his brother since he woke from his comatose state, and no one seemed to have heard from him besides Undyne. She mentioned he had left briefly, but she hadn’t said for what, or when he’d be back.

The Queen noticed his pensive silence, her smile fading as well. But neither of them spoke as the door opened once again without warning. 

Sans turned irritably towards the door, but softened immediately as Chara bounded up past him. 

Toriel brightened, scooting back from her chair and scooping the child up in an embrace. “Good morning, my child! Have you slept well?” The child hummed as they returned her hug.

Something clenched painfully in Sans’ Soul at the sight, and if it weren’t for the support of the staff at his side, he may have collapsed. 

“I’ll let myself out.” He excused himself, limping out the door. Toriel acknowledged him briefly before giving her attention back to the small child. 

Sans leaned against the wall of the corridor, panting with exertion. The painful throb of his Soul did not alleviate matters in the slightest. 

He knew he was getting worse. Undyne was pointedly vague about whether or not he would recover, but he wasn’t stupid. 

He was more than aware of the potential fatality of his actions. The agony in his bones alluded to that much. 

He missed them. More than he wanted to admit. They gave him a renewed purpose, one that he came to appreciate that didn’tinvolve deception, cruelty, or blackmail. He felt needed. Papyrus was much older now. He would be well off without Sans to look after him, as much as Papyrus would deny it. 

Isabel and Wyatt, they  needed someone . They needed someone to father them, to protect them and support them in all they wanted to do. 

She needed someone. She needed someone who would keep her from overworking herself, who could help her manage her stress and tears. Someone she could depend on to be there for her. 

_He_ needed them.

He needed her to balance his stubborn pride, and to kick him off his high horse from time to time. 

He needed the kids to keep him grounded, to remind him to have fun and to remember the little things that he often took for granted. 

_Stars, he missed them._

Footsteps echoed down the hall and Sans hurried to right himself, swiping the back of his glove across his face to clear up any tears that had managed to escape in his admittedly emotional moment. 

He saw a small pair of figures turn the corner out of his peripheral vision, but the voices that accompanied it made the pulse in his Soul stutter. 

“Daddy!” 

Sans fully turned to the figures that were now racing toward him, his jaw slack with disbelief. 

Isabel and Wyatt clung to his waist, their bright eyes filled with tears. Sans only hesitated a moment before he sank to his knees, letting the cane fall to the floor as he heartily embraced the two children. 

He felt her Soul’s presence before he saw her. 

Looking up from the kids in his arms, he met her eyes. She was weak, leaning against his brother for stability. She looked incredibly frail and sick. Her eyes were sunken and dark from restlessness,and shiny with fresh tears. Guilt buzzed angrily within him as he realized that her disheveled appearance was because of him. 

_But she was here!_

_Why was she here?_

Papyrus kept her steady until they stood over Sans and the twins. She let herself sink to the floor in front of him. 

She didn’t meet his eyes, though tears fell freely from her face. She clasped her hands tightly together, her face crumpled with anguish. 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered brokenly. Her shoulders shook slightly as she tried to keep herself together. 

Sans couldn’t bear to see her like that anymore. 

She choked as he threw his arms around her, pulling her close and shushing her gently with a broken voice of his own. Her own arms snaked tightly around him, and she buried her face into his chest.

He felt tears prick the corner of his sockets as she let herself cry into his uniform. Their Souls called out to each other desperately, and relief passed through him as the severance between them began to repair and fortify itself.

They were a family again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter will be the Epilogue. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)


	10. Epilogue

Once upon a time, Sans would’ve sworn he’d never have a family. 

The world was too dangerous, too cruel, for him to even consider finding a mate and raising children, whether it was among his own kind or not. He had Papyrus, and he was content with that.

Sans couldn’t help but chuckle ironically at the thought, turning the small dark box in his hands. 

He sat quietly on the old stiff couch in his mate’s old living room, the same one he had become so used to sleeping on. Boxes labeled with different rooms sat piled up against the walls. They didn’t have very much to take from the house, so all of their belongings, her and the twins’, fit nicely into the living room.

He didn’t have too much protest from his mate when he suggested the move to Ebott. With the monsters getting settled into their new homes in this town, more were opening up in his town, which would allow him to continue his duties as the Royal Advisor and temporary Captain of the Royal Guard. 

Her only requests? That she’d be able to work at least part time. He held back his protests against that- even though they would be financially comfortable with his occupation, he understood that sitting around the house all day would only drive her crazy. Her other request was to make sure Nana was taken care of as well, to compensate for her taking care of the family. That one, he readily accepted. 

And now, with the house all packed, she took the kids out to say their last goodbyes, and to tie up the last few loose ends before they would leave. 

Sans stayed behind, using the little time by himself to plan. He had gotten the ring a week ago, just after they had officially completed their Soul Bond. He had learned from Undyne that humans had a different ritual to bond two souls together, and he wanted to give that experience to his love. He already knew that she would accept, but  why was he still so nervous?

It was beyond him. He was hardly this nervous when they bonded, so what was so different about this? 

He didn’t have time to think much on it, as the sound of the front door caught his attention. He tossed the box into the Void and stood to greet his family. 

He’d figure out the perfect time to propose. 

It would be their last night in that house. The kids had just been put to bed. He figures now would be the perfect chance to do it. Before she headed down the hall to their room, Sans took her hand with a gentle smile. She didn’t protest as he guided her outside. The night was clear, and the moon was full, casting the perfect lighting for them. It was just like the night he realized he truly loved her. 

She stood at his side, leaning against him a bit as they both looked up at the sky. He hoped she couldn’t hear the nervous hum of his Soul as he mentally prepared himself. 

He pulled away from her slightly, clearing his nonexistent throat to grab her attention. She looked up at him curiously, and he paused. 

He had a whole speech prepared. It was long-winded and poetic and included multiple declarations of his love for her. 

But when she turned, he noticed the starlight reflecting in her eyes. Her smile was curious and bright, and it made his Soul flutter helplessly. 

His entire speech left him in that moment. 

Instead, he held her gaze, sinking down to one knee and taking her hand in his. He mimicked the pose that Undyne had shown him to the best of his abilities as he reached into the Void and retrieved the little box. 

He didn’t even have to ask. She threw herself into his arms, crying and giggling with elation as she accepted. 

No one was surprised when Sans insisted on taking care of the wedding arrangements. It was a lavish and intricate event. The only exception to this was the simple gown his mate had picked out to his dismay. But she was set in her stubborn ways, just as he was, protesting that she didn’t feel like herself in any of the frilly pieces he had chosen for her. 

If he had any protests left bouncing around in his mind, they were gone the minute she entered the room. He chastised himself for posing an argument in the first place.

Isabel stood close to her mother, a flowery crown pinned to her hair as she watched them exchange their vows. Wyatt stood with one of the Royal Guards next to the Queen, his chest puffed out pridefully in his new uniform, one that Toriel specially hand-stitched herself to look just like his father’s. And Papyrus stood behind Sans, his grin impossibly wide as he looked over them. 

The Queen announced the two of them as husband and wife, and Sans leaned in to kiss his wife tenderly, making the crowd erupt with applause.

Yes, once upon a time, Sans swore he’d never have a family. But now, he wouldn’t give his up for the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s the end! 
> 
> This is the first story I’ve finished in a long time. And it’s been fun sharing this experience with you all. I hope you enjoyed this just as much as I enjoyed reading it. 
> 
> If you’re interested, I have a few more fics that I’m working on, including a one-shot collection that I take prompt requests on. Feel free to check them out! 
> 
> And my Tumblr is always open! 
> 
> All in all, this was fun. Thank you for your comments and kudos and support. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are very much appreciated :)
> 
> Come chill with me on [Tumblr!](https://wholesomeremorse.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Self Fan art I drew of Sans and the Twins [Self Fan art I drew of Sans and the Twins](https://66.media.tumblr.com/5220f366f458cc162a4a81d2385f8ab9/tumblr_pu3rykNlHs1yo2y4so1_500.jpg)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Nascent](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21942553) by [Sar61_Sanz6](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sar61_Sanz6/pseuds/Sar61_Sanz6)




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